World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF, fears this could be a potential source of conflict and threat to biodiversity conservation in Southeast Cameroon. During a presentation of the situation to visiting Cameroonian Members of Parliament to Southeast Cameroon, WWF Jengi interim Coordinator, Zacharie Nzooh, stated that mining methods are incompatible with the objective of biodiversity protection.

“There is bound to be fragmentation of wildlife habitats and restriction of animals’ liberty to roam freely,” stated Dr. Nzooh. “An important migratory corridor of elephants in Lobeke that serves as highway for migration of elephants in Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville and Central African Republic, will be seriously perturbed if mining is allowed there,” he declared.

The superimposition of mining sites in Lobeke and Boumba Bek national parks and some logging concessions, runs counter to international engagements made by the state of Cameroon, with regards to biodiversity protection, Nzooh argued.

In March 2009, a field mission led by local government delegates of Environment, Forestry and Mining to mining sites in Southeast Cameroon revealed that 10 permits have been issued for mining, though only three are active. Mining pits are left open constituting potential traps to human beings and animals. Another area of potential conflict is the incompatibility between mining and forestry laws.

While forestry law proscribes the installation of people in forest concessions and exploitation in marshy areas, Cameroon’s mining law authorizes the installation of mining teams within areas where activities are being carried out and exploration in marshy areas. The upshot might be a rise in poaching and destruction of sensitive ecological areas.

Resistance

Consequently, “some logging companies are resisting the installation of mining companies within their forest management units, pending clarification on the issues,” stated the government delegates in their report. Logging companies have requested a review of the management plan for logging concessions to include mining issues. To help the situation, the delegates proposed a harmonization of Mining and Forestry laws, definition of a set of obligations for mining companies operating in the area and the withdrawal of mining permits for areas found within national parks. They proposed the establishment of a platform composed of different actors that will meet once a year to share information in order to check the negative impacts of mining on the environment.

Addressing Cameroon’s Parliament recently, Regional Representative of WWF in the central African sub region, Natasha Kofoworola Quist, said “WWF believes that mining should happen in an environmentally and socially responsible manner that does not compromise the needs of future generations for clean air, water, land, and viable populations of plant and animal species.”

The Regional Representative stated that, “WWF recognizes the importance of eradicating poverty and creating employment and sustainable livelihoods in Cameroon. However, there is need to properly regulate natural resources exploitation as well as infrastructure development in order to avoid the degradation of the natural environment which could also threaten the health and livelihoods of many local and indigenous people dependent on forest resources.”

*He is one of WWF Cameroon Communication Officials