Cameroon

With its 220,000 km² of tropical forest, Cameroon is part of the “green lungs” of the Congo Basin, one of the most ecologically valuable forest areas on earth. For reasons of climate and biodiversity, its sustainable conservation is of global importance. However, the conservation of forests and their biodiversity is under threat. Poaching and corruption, illegal logging and competing rights of use are all to blame.

Against this background, KfW's Forest & Environment sector programme supports the government, municipalities and the local population in the sustainable management of forest and wildlife resources and the management of protected areas.

In order to safeguard the progress achieved regionally, closer cooperation with the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) will be sought in the future, which aims to protect the forests in the Congo Basin. In this context, KfW is also promoting the introduction of collaborative management in Cameroon's protected areas. Rules on protection and use, and the active involvement of local residents are intended to improve the prospects for the conservation of forests and wildlife. Finally, a sustainable effect of the measures and the acceptance of defined usage restrictions can only be achieved if tangible positive feedback effects reinforce the local population’s work.

Project information - Biodiversity conservation (PDF, 162 KB, non-accessible)

Almost half of Cameroon’s population lives in rural areas with a high incidence of poverty. To make matters worse, climate change and the associated weather fluctuations lead to failed harvests and associated income losses as well as seasonal food insecurity. Adjusting agricultural cultivation systems is necessary, and KfW supports this in two ways.

Rural areas in the northern regions of Cameroon are often isolated and have only weak infrastructural development. Given the precarious socio-economic and climatic circumstances, the linking of these areas throughout the year is essential for improving living conditions. The traffic routes and tracks in the project region must be accessible all year round. This is the only way to ensure access to markets and agricultural land.

KfW also promotes the development of rural areas through the financial sector. KfW supports the regional African Agriculture and Trade Investment Fund (AATIF), which provides smaller companies in Cameroon's agricultural sector with access to matched loans. Loans and guarantees enable productivity-enhancing investments that ultimately lead to income increases and security of food supply.

Outside the two cities of Yaoundé and Douala, only a few people have unrestricted access to basic infrastructure. More and more people are moving into cities, where the majority of the growing population already lives. KfW is countering these acute challenges by strengthening decentralisation, urban development and targeted information systems.

KfW uses two different modules to improve municipal infrastructure and basic services in order to realise local economic potential and strengthen the resilience of local administrations to deal with crisis situations. Particular attention is paid to the interests of women and young people. Creating prospects is an integral part of preventing the radicalisation of young people and migration. Furthermore, elected Council assemblies will be strengthened to promote the democratic legitimacy of decisions, transparency and, ultimately, the sustainable use of built infrastructure.

The decentralisation approach is complemented by a programme to improve the tax system in Cameroon. The aim of digitalisation is to increase tax revenues while making their collection more efficient and transparent. This should also facilitate budgeting processes at the national and sub-national levels.

Hospitals without water and electricity are not uncommon in rural regions of Cameroon. A lack of qualified healthcare workers and high treatment costs prevent many women from seeking medical care before, during and after birth. As a result, many women die during childbirth in Cameroon. Protection against sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies is not yet consistently practised in Cameroon, and 4 to 5%of the population are HIV positive. Together with the government of Cameroon, the German Federal Government has therefore focused on maternal and child health and HIV/AIDS prevention.

KfW is supporting the government in renovating around 100 health stations throughout the country and equipping them with medical equipment and medicines. Employees of private and public health stations are trained to improve the quality of services, especially for families. Finally, young people and high-risk groups are taught about HIV/AIDS and family planning with appealing campaigns and they receive affordable condoms.

KfW is working closely with UNICEF in the fragile northeastern part of Cameroon. The target group includes refugees from neighbouring countries, particularly the Central African Republic, as well as internally displaced refugees escaping from the ongoing terrorist activities in the north. The refugees and the host communities alike are supported by the provision of health services and food supplements, complemented by measures such as information campaigns.