Who are the actors leading climate action in Cameroon’s northern regions?

A few houses in the village of Pintchoumba, municipality of poli, North Region, Cameroon. Photo by CIFOR-ICRAF

“Rainfall is becoming a rarity—arriving late and departing far too soon,” said Bakari Robert, CEO of MIDIMA, as he recounts the erratic climate shifts reshaping the North and Far North of the country.

The global community portrays climate change as an existential crisis, and with good reason. In regions like northern Cameroon, the ripple effects—droughts, floods, searing heat waves —wreak havoc on the most vulnerable socio-economic systems.

The toll isn’t just measured in human health; agriculture, the lifeblood of these communities, is also in steep decline:

• Reduced crop yields:  As scorching heat and prolonged drought grip the land, crops wither under relentless water stress. Growth slows, leaves yellow, flowers fade, and yields plummet. 
• Soil degradation: The soil fares no better. Heat hastens evaporation, leaving the earth cracked and barren, vulnerable to wind and water erosion, leading to a loss of fertility and water retention. In addition, salinisation of the soil, a process accentuated by evaporation, can render the land unfit for cultivation in the long term.
• Decreased livestock productivity: With shrinking water and pasture resources, livestock suffers. Animals suffering from malnutrition are more vulnerable to disease. Livestock mortality can be high, leading to a drop in the production of meat, milk and other animal products.
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The road ahead: What are the possible solutions?

Bold actions in mitigation and adaptation are needed to combat this escalating crisis. Improving the institutional framework, governance, and support mechanisms linked to climate change is essential. 

Strengthening these aspects would enable better coordination of actions, optimise resource use and encourage greater local participation in the design and implementation of climate policies. Their mobilisation, cooperation or opposition significantly shape policy formulation implementation and monitoring—ultimately determining its impact on communities and regions. In July 2024, a workshop convened in Garoua brought together key actors from the North and Far North. The aim? To “map the networks of influence of actors on climate action in the North and Far North regions to discover the power dynamics in place and later facilitate more effective collaboration between actors,” says Hilary Ngouabo, doctorate candidate with the Innovation for Adaptation to Climate Change (INNOVACC) project in Garoua.

“The workshop was crucial,” adds Divine Foundjem, policy and market researcher at The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) .“It allowed stakeholders to reflect on how climate policies—formed at the global and national levels—are being applied on the ground here in the North and Far North.” 

PhD fellow Hilary Ngouaba guiding the workshop attendants. Photo by Laurianne Mefan/CIFOR-ICRAF

Workshop attendants highlighting the actors present in the Far North landscape. Photo by Laurianne Mefan/CIFOR-ICRAF

Revealing the climate actors: A few facts detected!

The recent workshop held in Garoua brought together an eclectic mix of stakeholders, ranging from international NGOs, Government entities and local civil society organisations to traditional leaders and private sector representatives. The aim was ambitious yet crucial: to map out the intricate web of actors engaged in climate action across the North and Far North regions of Cameroon.

Grouped by region, participants were tasked with providing concrete evidence of these actors’ activities in the field. What emerged was a detailed picture of a highly complex landscape, with seven key categories of players shaping the region’s climate response: the public sector, the private and parastatal sector, traditional and religious authorities, international organisations, the research and education sector, civil society organisations and local communities.

In addition, as discussions unfolded, the situation’s complexity became clearer. The work carried out by the participants highlighted the sheer diversity of roles, responsibilities, and interactions among the different actors, which has both helped and hindered efforts to improve local conditions and protect natural resources. 

“At the national level, the fight against the challenges of climate change is mainly led by the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED),” explains Hilary Ngouabo, a doctorate candidate working with the INNOVACC project. “However, there are frequent jurisdictional conflicts with the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) , particularly on reforestation issues. These disputes often slow progress.”

The tensions are even more pronounced at the local level.“Farmers, herders, and fishermen find themselves in direct competition for increasingly scarce natural resources, while local branches of MINFOF struggle to mediate these disputes,” says Ngouabo.

“If we are to improve the situation, we must strengthen coordination between stakeholders, support decentralised local authorities, build the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD)’s research capacity, and improve collaboration between the National Observatory on Climate Change (ONACC) and the National Meteorological Directorate,” Ngouabo concludes.

The workshop revealed that while many players contribute to the fight against climate change in the northern region of Cameroon, their efforts are often unequal in scale and impact. The traditional authorities and civil society organisations close to the communities are crucial in mobilising local populations and implementing climate initiatives. Meanwhile, technical and financial partners support these efforts by funding research, developing strategies, and implementing resilience projects.

The ministries, particularly MINEPDED and MINFOF, hold significant decision-making authority, though their areas of jurisdiction sometimes overlap. The Regional Council, intended to oversee and coordinate these efforts, is frequently outpaced by decentralised services, leading to fragmented action on the ground. The private sector, though present—particularly in telecommunications and industrial development—has only made a marginal contribution to initiatives like reforestation. While strategically important, key organisations such as MEADEN, CILSN, and ONACC have limited influence on the broader climate agenda.

Ultimately, tackling climate change in northern Cameroon remains a collective effort. Yet, the workshop highlighted a recurring theme: the fragility of governance. The lack of effective collaboration between sectoral actors continues to hamper progress. Improving coordination, boosting local capacity, and fostering genuine partnerships will be essential if the region builds resilience in an ever-changing climate.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Innovation for Adaptation to Climate Change (INNOVACC) project, funded by the European Union. This project is being implemented by a consortium of international and national research institutions, namely the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), the Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), the Institut de recherche agricole pour le développement (IRAD) and the Fondation Energies pour le Monde (FONDEM).