Assessment of livelihood activities for conservation management in the Deng Deng National Park-Belabo Council Forest Conservation Corridor, East Region of Cameroon

Abstract

Many local communities in Cameroon especially around protected areas survive through the exploitation of natural resources in the wild. This study was set out to assess the different livelihood activities carried out in communities located in the corridor between the Deng Deng National Park and the Belabo Council Forest. This assessment was a giant step towards the planning for effective conservation of biodiversity in the corridor. To achieve this, a household survey was conducted using the simple random sampling technique where each household was given equal opportunity of being chosen to take part in the survey. Surveys on hunting and Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) were conducted. During these surveys a total of 440 questionnaires were administered in 11 villages. The results revealed that agriculture, hunting and the collection or harvesting of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) were the major livelihood activities carried out by the local population. Most respondents (51%) farm sizes were between 0.5 to 3 hectares and crops cultivated were; cocoyams, plantains, potatoes, cassava, groundnut and maize. A total of 69% of the population were engaged in the collection and harvesting of NTFPs such as njansang (Ricinodendron heudoloti), bush mango (Irvingia gabonensis), bitter cola (Garcinia kola), colanut (Cola nitida). A majority of respondents (97%) collected the NTFPs for consumption and sale. It was shown that 53% of the collector earned at least 100,000XAF to 200,000XAF per year. With respect to hunting, a majority of respondents (87%) hunt for sale and consumption while 11% hunt just for sale. The studied communities depend highly on the forest and this has led to loss of biodiversity through habitat loss and fragmentation. Thus, adequate conservation management strategies are very instrumental for the improvement of biodiversity and livelihood in the corridor.

Contributions of Mount Cameroon National Park (MCNP) activities to livelihood of the local people, South West Region Cameroon

“…The decision on household ownership as expressed by some local people will encourage long term exploitation and provision of sustainable income that will enhance livelihood. This expression is consistent to results presented by Nkembi et al (2022) that states that adequate conservation management strategies take into consideration adapted livelihood activities of the local people who are very instrumental for the improvement of biodiversity within protected areas.…”

“…Both seedlings and fruits are sold for both species during the wet season. The finding of this study was in line with other studies about the importance of NTFPs in supporting household income and ensuring food security especially in the tropical areas where most people depend on the forest for their livelihood (Nkembi et al, 2022). NTFPs are sustainably collected including Prunus africana based on used of training knowledge provided by the MCNP service to collectors.…”

“…It is important to note that the innovative programs bring individual gains to the household and this has been the main motivation behind the increase in number of local people involved in its implementation. These results were similar to that of Nkembi et al (2022) who indicated that the rural poor tend to be disproportionately dependent on forest resources and rally behind any forest related income generating activity that secure individual household income, especially in the forest areas. The relationship between gender and conservation activities is presented in Table 2.…”

“…The young people between the ages of 20 and 30 years and those between 31 and 40 years rallied, and were motivated to participate in park protection and capacity building activities because compensation in terms of remuneration was immediate. As indicated in a relative study by Nkembi et al (2022), these segments of the population were those constituting the highest proportion of local people involved in the collection of forest products for livelihood. Even though this situation is different from the collection of forest resources for livelihood purposes, the factor that brought similarities is the aspect of immediate revenue generated.…”

“…Understanding the contributions of MCNP management to livelihood activities of the local people is essential for community participation in the management of the PA. The collection and marketing of forest resources provides a substantial revenue to many local people around the PA but in most cases has negative impacts on the biodiversity and therefore poses a significant challenge for the management of the PA in areas where local people rely heavily on natural resources for their livelihood (Cavendish, 1999;Sunderlin et al, 2008;Madhu et al, 2010;Nkembi et al, 2022). Considering the population growth rates of 2.6% per annum in Cameroon (World Bank Report, 2022) and that most remaining forests have been incorporated into the country expanded PA system that occupies 30% of the entire territory of Cameroon should be made permanent forest (MINFOF, 2013).…”