In Cameroon, civil society is mobilizing in favor of green governance. The idea is to put young people at the heart of the urgency of the issue, so that they can be a force for proposals, innovation and solutions to find alternatives in the fight to preserve the planet, in line with the ODD 7 initiative for Africa of the African Union’s action plan for green recovery, which is based on three pillars including sustainability, governance and financing, and aims to improve access and climate action.
The Far North region of Cameroon has been plagued by severe flooding since August 2024. With over 200,000 people affected and more than 82,509 hectares of arable land devastated, the phenomenon has exacerbated the food insufficiency, plaguing the region as a result of climate disruption. In this Central African country, where 70% of the population is under the age of 35, the subject is a matter of concern, and experts are calling for a greater contribution from young people to climate action, in order to build a sustainable and resilient future to climate change.
“It’s precisely on this demographic category, on these young people and even the youngest that we should base our efforts; because the future, whether we like it or not, is them. Some of them, when they will be ruling, need to be constantly aware, in all the actions they take, that it’s vital to protect our living environment.”
Cabral Libi, Member of Parliament -Cameroon
Beyond its imperative nature, the fight for a better climate is an opportunity to take advantage of, far from the ecological debt that is still expected. The city of Yaoundé, for example, with a population of nearly 2 million, produces an average of 1,200 tonnes of household waste per day, according to official figures. This waste, if recycled, could create wealth in a context where young people benefit a framework that encourages entrepreneurship. In the opinion of some experts, greater involvement of young people should help strengthen green governance.
“I think that this is one of the first recommendations, that the young people trained here, build an advocacy on the issue of ecological debt, the second is an advocacy on reforms and public policies. Public policies need to be more sensitive to climate change, particularly in terms of planning, programming and budgeting. Young people also need to work at the local level to continue this advocacy, especially so that we achieve climate-sensitive budgeting.”
William Armand Mala, Rector of the University of Green Governance – Cameroon
According to a new study by the Center for Global Development, African countries will suffer major economic losses after 2050 if global warming is not limited to less than 2°C.
