Desertification:Government Harnessing efforts to Fight the Ill

The Government of Cameroon has put in place a National Ac- tion Plan to combat deser- tification. The plan is part
of a series of measures put in place to fight desertifica- tionwhich isfastspreading in the nation. These measures were made public on June 17, 2019 as Cameroon joined the international community to commemo- rate the 25th edition of the world day to combat des- ertification and drought. In the plan, clearstudies have been made to determine the causes and the impact of this ill. Responses and strategies have also been developed. As the government ex- plores waysto combat the ill, strategic partnerships with both local and inter- nationalstakeholders have been developed. Came- roon itshould be noted has ratified the United Nations Convention to combat desertification. However, desertification is fast ad- vancing around the world, provoking shortage in food and farmland, a source of conflict among communi- ties. Farmer-grazer conflicts have conse- quently been very recur- rent especially in the grass field and northern parts of the country. This is posing a real threat to Cameroon especially from the Far North, North, Adamawa, West and North West Re- gions of the Nation. The conflicts sometimes dege- nerate to a pointwhere the
famer and grazer live as though they do not need each other. Whereas if the vast lands are well mana- ged,theywould comforta- bly cohabit; the grazer getting the corn fofu from the farmer and the famer getting his meet from the grazer. Apart from Natural causes like climate change that nurture desertification, human activity has alar- mingly been the key cause. Unhealthy forest exploita- tion, shrub burning and other human practices are to blame for the steady in- crease of desertland in Ca- meroon. To combat these, it became incumbent for the government to put its feet on the gear. Local go- vernment authorities are also letting no stone untur- ned in the fight. The Mayor of the Bamenda I Sub Divi- sional Council, Balick Awa Fidelis affirmed that the Council has planted thou- sands of trees within the last few years and that he is looking forward to a green Bamenda. Though some hectares of desert land in the Sahel area have been reclaimed through tree planting and other regeneration activi- ties, a lot of efforts are still being needed to cub the
unpleasant phenomenon.