Unlocking Treasure In Protected Areas

Cameroon joined the rest of the international community on June 5, 2026 to commemorate the 54th International Environment Day with focus on moving from speeches to embracing actions susceptible to mitigating climate change. Although attention was this year on what stakeholders can do to keep life and livelihood going in the midst of the disturbing climate variations, government must as well look at how to make the environment not only safe but economicallyrewarding to the country. For, there seems to be resources related to the environment that still remain untapped but which could change much if fully valorised. In fact, clearly defined geographical spaces managed through effective legal or administrative means to achieve long-term conservation of nature, ecosystem services and cultural values, which environmentalists have christened as Protected Areas, is gold in disguise, whose potentials are yet to be wholly maximised in the country. Something needs to be done in that light. Conserving biodiversity to provide safe havens for wildlife and endangered species or ecosystem to secure clean water, regulate floods as well as absorbing carbon to mitigate climate change are all environmentallyfriendly approaches that greatly benefit man and his surroundings. But beyond these, the powers that be could devise ways of making these areas not only safe but better attractive to visitors, earnings from which can power national growth. Cameroon is blessed with Protected Areas of all sorts in almost all parts of the country and government has been putting in efforts to conserve the rich biodiversity across the ecological zones. Reports even show that the country’s Protected Areas network covers about 11 per cent of its total land surface, comprising national parks, faunal reserves and wildlife sanctuaries. There is notably the Lobéké National Park in the East Region reputed for its forest clearings that are said to offer excellent wildlife viewing, including gorillas and forest elephants, the Bouba Njida National Park in the North Region harbouring endangered giant elands and the Waza National Park in the Far North with its large herds of antelopes, giraffes and lions. The country also boasts of the Korup National Park in the South West Region, said to be one of the oldest and richest rainforests, housing an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, the Mbam and Djerem National Park with various pangolin species as well as the Campo Ma’an National Park in the South Region with rich coastal marine ecosystems and dense forests. Coupled with these are faunal and wildlife reserves like the Dja Faunal Reserve in the South/East Regions, Tofala Hill wildlife sanctuary in the South West/West highlands and the Mount Muanenguba sanctuary in the South West/Littoral Regions created for amphibians, reptiles and goliath frog. Areas whose potentials could be well harnessed for better gains. This is where the challenge lies. But a surmountable one if the will is manifested and workable strategies put in place by those vested with the powers to transform the country’s potentials, some of which are still lying fallow, into viable tools to stimulate socio-economic progress. Elsewhere, governance has thought out of the box to marry biodiversity conservation and boosting local revenue. It is common knowledge that Protected Areas have good flora and fauna which are usually appealing to visitors. In fact, the areas are protected because they harbour what is precious and risk extinction. Regrettably, it looks like the governing class doesn’t measure yet the value of the country’s wealth in her wide and varied Protected Areas. Whereas be they nationals or foreign tourists, almost everyone would love to see those rare animals, reptiles, the giant frog and others. But how would they see when knowledge of their existence is not known to a wider public, when accessibility is a problem,...