Climate change is causing biodiversity loss and environmental degradation worldwide. Particularly negatively affected by these processes are populations whose livelihoods depend on a healthy environment. However, indigenous knowledge of how climate change influences forests, fauna, and local livelihoods in Cameroon remains largely under-documented. This chapter explores local knowledge and perceptions of the inhabitants around Mount Cameroon on the influence of climate change on wildlife and indigenous livelihoods, and consequently environmental health. Data were collected in 2018 across four villages using household surveys, focus group discussions, and expert and key informant interviews to achieve these objectives. The findings reveal that most of the population of respective villages has observed an increase in precipitation, temperature, and extreme weather events. In addition, residents noticed that climate change is affecting wildlife in terms of its distribution, abundance, reproduction periods, health, and vitality, due to its influence on the availability and timing of forest food resources, coupled with habitat depletion, water accessibility, and the prevalence of bushfires. Consequently, these developments substantially affect indigenous livelihoods in the Mount Cameroon area, where forest resources and wildlife play an important role and threaten the enjoyment of the constitutional human right to a healthy environment. This study contributes to knowledge of climate change-induced fauna dynamics and forest environments in Cameroon. It depicts the vulnerability of local livelihoods and their dependence on a healthy environment.

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Towards Strengthening the Right to a Healthy Environment: Local Knowledge and Perceptions of Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife and Indigenous Livelihoods on Mount Cameroon

  • Vivian Njole Ntoko,
  • Matthias Schmidt

摘要

Climate change is causing biodiversity loss and environmental degradation worldwide. Particularly negatively affected by these processes are populations whose livelihoods depend on a healthy environment. However, indigenous knowledge of how climate change influences forests, fauna, and local livelihoods in Cameroon remains largely under-documented. This chapter explores local knowledge and perceptions of the inhabitants around Mount Cameroon on the influence of climate change on wildlife and indigenous livelihoods, and consequently environmental health. Data were collected in 2018 across four villages using household surveys, focus group discussions, and expert and key informant interviews to achieve these objectives. The findings reveal that most of the population of respective villages has observed an increase in precipitation, temperature, and extreme weather events. In addition, residents noticed that climate change is affecting wildlife in terms of its distribution, abundance, reproduction periods, health, and vitality, due to its influence on the availability and timing of forest food resources, coupled with habitat depletion, water accessibility, and the prevalence of bushfires. Consequently, these developments substantially affect indigenous livelihoods in the Mount Cameroon area, where forest resources and wildlife play an important role and threaten the enjoyment of the constitutional human right to a healthy environment. This study contributes to knowledge of climate change-induced fauna dynamics and forest environments in Cameroon. It depicts the vulnerability of local livelihoods and their dependence on a healthy environment.