Last updated: June 2024
Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and one of its largest cities. The city is located on the banks of the Wouri River (hence a port city) and its climate is tropical. The marine and coastal biodiversity of Cameroon is rich and diverse, and it is highly endangered because of human activities including artisanal and industrial fishing and pollution generated from industries, accidental loss of crude oil in transit or during loading or unloading. In Douala, thousands of inhabitants have settled in and around the mangrove swamps, destroying the mangrove ecosystem and endangering biodiversity including snakes, birds, fish, trees and frogs. Biodiversity studies are rare, and even if they exist, they are done in part and do not give an overview of the real state of biodiversity in the city. The city of Douala is full of many ecosystems of various natures (micro-ecosystems), each of which has species adapted to the environment. Besides this, Douala confronts itself with seasonal flooding and high temperatures due to climate change. In response to some of these challenges, a local entity, the Association of academics and researchers for Biodiversity conservation, initiated in 2020 an action that focused on environmental education and biodiversity conservation. The initiative also provides a framework for reflection and exchange on biodiversity issues. (1,3,4)
Douala green city
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Figure-D4-Existing-green-space-map-for-Douala-67_fig20_260192147
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Coastal wetland, mangroves and salt marshes
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
The Douala urban community intends to place the fight against climate change and the preservation of natural environments at the heart of its urban development policy. Douala is prone to flooding with nearly 250 km of rivers and heavy rainfall averaging 4,000 mm per year. It is located at the mouth of the Wouri River, on a low coastal plateau, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and is influenced by the tides. The multitude of human activities (encroachment, cutting wood) carried out there could be the basis for the disappearance of species subservient to these micro-ecosystems. Regarding the intervention implemented, the goals were:
1. To create an estimated list of the number of plant and animal species in the city and therefore contribute to the knowledge and conservation of the biodiversity of the city
2. To contribute to the fight against climate change through several specific objectives: germination of a collection of seeds of endangered wildlife species in tropical forests, scientifically identifying plant species and producing plants with medicinal properties.
3. To contribute to the creation of public and private green spaces with a mitigation and adaptation characteristic in order to store and absorb carbon
4. To educate the locals regarding the biodiversity of their city as many of the actions will happen in schools, markets, streets, sports venues.
5. To raise awareness of the attitudes and practices that contribute to environmental degradation and promote the preservation of biodiversity.
6. To contribute to the assessment of the potential for local or global biodiversity (1, 2, 3)
7. Planting threatened and non threatened species (1)
Implementation activities
The citizens association that initiated the intervention was established in 2019. It is called Association des Universitaires et Chercheurs pour la Conservation de la Biodiversité (AUCCB) and it's an initiative of young Cameroonians. The project is run from April 2021 until December 2030. This year, starting with the month of April, the planting of trees started on the streets of Douala. Throughout the planting season, the team also engaged in workshops for local schools and institutions and also trained people to attend activities in the tree nurseries the project is implementing. As for reforestation activities, sub-teams have been formed. These groups include, on the one hand, technical agents, responsible for controlling the planting of plants in accordance with standards, and on the other hand, manoeuvres, responsible for digging holes. Many bachelor's and master's students are involved in this operation. (1,2)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Create or improve outdoor spaces to help people escape from urban heat
- Increase the use of climate-resilient plant species (resistant to drought, fire, and pests)
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
- Improve carbon sequestration through selection of more adaptable species
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Means for conservation governance
- Biodiversity offsets
- Raise public awareness
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Researchers/University
- Citizens or community groups
- Young people and children
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The initiator of this intervention is the Association of Academics and Researchers for Biodiversity Conservation (AUCCB). AUCCB was created in 2019, on the initiative of young Cameroonians. Its mission is to germination the seeds of endangered wildlife species; the creation, protection and conservation of green spaces; the scientific identification of plant species; the germination of ornamental plants useful for urban ecology; the production of medicinal plants; the awareness of populations on attitudes and customs that contribute to environmental degradation and the promotion of the preservation of biodiversity. It provides a framework for reflection and exchange on biodiversity issues.Alongside the main initiator, the Herbarium the Museum of Plants of Douala also participated. (1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(It is worth mentioning that Cameroon has a National Plan of Action against climate change, dating 2015. The plan was developed using a participatory approach that takes into account the secular information and observations accumulated by local communities on the interactions between man, his environment and climatic conditions. Douala, the city of our present intervention, was named as having a high climate risk and as a focus for national authorities. (5))
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of goods
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
- Private sector (businesses, financial institution)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Initiatives Climat (2021), Préservation d’espèces d’arbres, available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
2. Facebook, Herbier le Musée des Plantes, available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
3. Antoine Justin Eyebe Abe Eyebe Simeon Kenneth Angu Angu Dominique Endamana (2012), Integrating biodiversity conservation into Development Policy: A case study of Cameroon, available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
4. Modeste Kameni Nematchoua , Gholamreza Roshan, René Tchinda (2014), Iranian Journal of Health Sciences 2014; 2(2): 25-36 Source link IJHS 2014; 2(2): 25 Impact of Climate Change on Outdoor Thermal Comfort and Health in Tropical Wet and Hot Zone (Douala), Cameroon, available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
5. Republic of Cameroon (2015), PLAN NATIONAL D’INVESTISSEMENT POUR L’ADAPTATION AU CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE, available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
6.Yinyang et al. J. Appl. Biosci. 2014, Journal of Applied Biosciences 78:6600 – 6619, Les plantes à alcaloïdes utilisées par les populations de la ville Douala (Cameroun), available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
2. Facebook, Herbier le Musée des Plantes, available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
3. Antoine Justin Eyebe Abe Eyebe Simeon Kenneth Angu Angu Dominique Endamana (2012), Integrating biodiversity conservation into Development Policy: A case study of Cameroon, available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
4. Modeste Kameni Nematchoua , Gholamreza Roshan, René Tchinda (2014), Iranian Journal of Health Sciences 2014; 2(2): 25-36 Source link IJHS 2014; 2(2): 25 Impact of Climate Change on Outdoor Thermal Comfort and Health in Tropical Wet and Hot Zone (Douala), Cameroon, available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
5. Republic of Cameroon (2015), PLAN NATIONAL D’INVESTISSEMENT POUR L’ADAPTATION AU CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE, available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
6.Yinyang et al. J. Appl. Biosci. 2014, Journal of Applied Biosciences 78:6600 – 6619, Les plantes à alcaloïdes utilisées par les populations de la ville Douala (Cameroun), available at Source link (accessed 28-10-2021)
Type of plant used
https://www.facebook.com/HMP.Douala/photos/1005092376919348
Team
https://www.facebook.com/HMP.Douala/photos/1005092376919348
Specie 1
https://www.facebook.com/HMP.Douala/photos/1005092376919348
Species used
https://www.facebook.com/HMP.Douala/photos/1005092376919348
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy.