By Trésor Daniel Mefire
As Africa faces an escalating crisis of land degradation, a new report by environmental researcher Trésor Daniel Mefire has raised urgent concerns about the future of food security, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods across the continent — with a special focus on Cameroon’s rapidly deteriorating landscapes.
Titled “Land Restoration in Africa and Cameroon: A Path to Resilience and Prosperity,” the report reveals that nearly 65% of Africa’s land is affected by degradation, impacting more than 400 million people. Cameroon alone is witnessing annual deforestation rates above 2.5% in some regions, with over 12 million hectares — roughly 25% of its total land — already degraded.
“Land degradation is a mounting crisis across Africa, threatening food security, economic stability, and the resilience of communities,” Mefire writes. “Cameroon, as part of this continental challenge, is grappling with severe land degradation that undermines rural livelihoods and national development.”
According to the report, land restoration — through methods such as reforestation, soil rehabilitation, and ecological farming — holds vast promise for reversing the damage. Globally, restoring one billion hectares of land could yield up to $1.8 trillion in annual economic benefits. For Cameroon, restoration is not only a climate solution but also an economic necessity, as 70% of its population depends on agriculture.
Mefire outlines practical, low-cost methods already proving successful elsewhere in Africa, including:
- Zaï pits: small planting holes that concentrate water and nutrients, boosting crop yields by up to 200%.
- Stone bunds: erosion barriers that reduce soil loss by 80%.
- Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR): a community-led method that has restored 5 million hectares in Niger.
- Agroforestry: intercropping with nitrogen-fixing trees like Faidherbia albida to enrich soils and increase yields.
- Half-moons: crescent-shaped water catchments used in arid areas to support vegetation recovery.
These techniques, Mefire argues, could be adapted to Cameroon’s arid north and highland regions to tackle desertification, erosion, and food insecurity.
The report also praises Cameroon’s recent successes: community-led reforestation in the Far North restored 15,000 hectares using FMNR, and agroecological practices in the Western Highlands have increased crop yields by 35–40%. Women-led nurseries produced over 2 million seedlings for the Great Green Wall in 2023 — a powerful testament to the role of gender inclusion in restoration.
Yet, serious hurdles remain. Weak land tenure, underfunded policies, and low private sector involvement are slowing progress. “Farmers are significantly more likely to invest their time and resources in long-term restoration practices if they have secure access to their land,” Mefire stresses, pointing to Niger’s FMNR success as evidence.
The report urges Cameroon to adopt Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes, invest in land monitoring with drones and GIS, and align restoration with national economic policies. It warns that achieving global land restoration goals by 2030 would require $1 billion in investment daily, but current funding levels fall drastically short.
“Land restoration is both an urgent necessity and a tremendous opportunity for Africa and Cameroon,” Mefire concludes. “With the right investments, policies, and community engagement, restoration can unlock a future of prosperity, stability, and ecological health.”
For Further Reading
To explore the full report, case studies, and technical insights, see the attached PDF: Land Restoration in Africa and Cameroon (1) by Trésor Daniel Mefire.
