WHAT IT IS

It is a programme developed by Green Cameroon and other RCE Buea members on using media to highlight and educate on pertinent environmental issues in our communities. It also has to do with getting people and authorities more involved in conservation initiatives and showcasing the activities of the RCE to a wider public.

BACKGROUND

Cameroon has great potential for using natural capital, estimated at 44% of the country’s total wealth, to boost economic growth and substantially reduce rural poverty (World Bank, SNC bulletin 2008).

Among its richness, it is worth mentioning the large water resources - that could easily cover the needs of its entire population - as well as the large forest resources, crucial for biodiversity conservation, regulation of the climate and playing a role of the “lungs of the planet”. Tropical forest of the Congo Basin is the second most important after the Amazonian basin, and the area of the Korup National Park is considered as the highest biodiversity spot of Africa.

Natural capital is above all critical for the livelihood of the most vulnerable rural populations in the developing countries, which significantly rely on it for their daily subsistence.

The degradation of the environment is a major obstacle to social and economic development of the country. It generates important costs and hinders the development of the human resources, amongst others leading to public health problems, decrease of agricultural and fisheries yields, uneven access to resources, loss of crucial biodiversity and its potential economic revenues, and increased occurrence. Yet, the preservation and sustainable use of the natural resources is not often considered as a priority by the populations and the decision-makers.

Lukewarmness, lack of information and non-understanding of the impacts on living conditions and the values of healthy ecosystems are among the main barriers to a suitable management of the environment as well as appropriate habits.

The programme was developed following our observation that the average Cameroonian most often knows or cares very little about basic environmental issues and seems not to understand the effects of his day to day actions on the local and global environments. It works to achieve a shift in behaviour at individual levels through the development and introduction of well designed activities that will enable the exchange of ideas between our team and communities on identified issues with the aim of attaining more sustainable communities.

The campaign is intended to last for two years comprising several distinct phases. Our intention here is to have a chain of activities carried in given communities during given periods of time usually 3 months.

The use of media in all its forms is very critical to the success of the project as we intend to get as much coverage as possible on all activities involved. It is our intention that a video documentary showing the various stages of the campaign, actors involved and how they contributed would be produced and more visibility given to Green Cameroon’s activities.

OBJECTIVES AND REASONS BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN

On the strength of this diagnosis, highlighting the importance of a preserved environment seems to be a prime condition to the improvement of the current situation.

Our campaign aims at fostering the development of enhanced practices via 3 main objectives:

1. Education and provision of information towards the population

2. Enabling conditions via concrete actions (Implementation of practical activities in communities)

3. Advocacy towards the decision-makers for an increased attention to environmental problems and ESD.

Through the Green Media Campaign, RCE Buea will work on;

- Raising general community awareness and educating on pertinent environmental issues

- Getting community members more active in conservation initiatives

- Lobbying for more government action around environmental concerns

- Showcasing Green Cameroon’s activities to a wider public.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

• Improved level of knowledge and awareness of the population on environmental issues, concerning

- The impacts of unsustainable practices on the environment

- The effect of a degraded environment on their living conditions and

- The existing solutions and improved practices.

• Improved means of actions and infrastructures (selective bins, rainwater tank, etc.)

• Capacity building of some community groups on actions towards financial sustainability in form of green business initiatives.

• Increased support of institutions, improved governance and policies, notably through innovative mechanisms for increased responsibility of the producers/ polluters.

• Concrete improvement of the environmental conditions in Buea

• Better understanding of environmental issues and better visibility for our activities

• Reinforced networking and harmonization of activities between Organisations.

• Data sharing and systematized information on cases and projects of the region/country

Three Green Months and a Green Week

The first 3 months of the campaign where baptized the Green Months and where culminated by a Green week which was aimed at showcasing all the work done during the 3 green months. Subjects chosen for treatment during the 3 green months included, water, agriculture, forest and waste management.

During the green week all the partners and community members with whom RCE Buea has worked during the 3 green months came together at a given at the French Cultural Center to present what has been done with them and show how beneficial the campaign has been to them so far.

Partner organisations, schools and other community groups had stands which were visited by the public.

Other activities included the presentation of talks on selected environmental issues, presentations and display of best practices and their results, debates, movie projections, interviews, nature walks, competitions and workshops.

The venue for the green week was the French Cultural Centre Buea and the duration was 1 week starting from 15th to the 21st of April, 2013.

The Green saw the coming together of almost all partners of RCE Buea and several community groups to deliberate on conservation issues concerning the region and country at large. General participation at the Green Week was estimated at about 500 people and it ended with the production of the Green Charter which is aimed to serve as a reference document for further developmental projects.