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Cameroon
Forest Information and Data
According to the U.N. FAO,
42.1% or about 19,916,000 ha of Cameroon is forested, according to FAO, although other estimates put forest cover at up to 48%.
Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Cameroon lost an average of 220,000 ha or 0.90% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Cameroon lost 18.1% of its forest cover, or around 4,400,000 ha.
Cameroon's forests contain 2,696 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.
Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Cameroon has some 1661 known species of amphibians (220+), birds (848), mammals (250) and reptiles (330+) according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 7.2% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 6.7% are threatened. Cameroon is home to at least 8260 species of vascular plants, of which 1.9% are endemic. 7.4% of Cameroon is protected under IUCN categories I-V.
2011 Update
In May 2011, Sassan Saatchi of Caltech's Jet Propulsion Lab and colleagues published a paper in PNAS with new carbon stock estimates for global tropical forests.
Forest definition (canopy cover %) | 10% tree cover | 25% tree cover | 30% tree cover | Forest Area (M ha) | 36 | 30 | 27 | Aboveground forest carbon (Mt C) | 3,650 | 3,361 | 3,226 | Belowground forest carbon (Mt C) | 995 | 906 | 864 | Total forest carbon (Mt C) | 4,646 | 4,268 | 4,089 | Average Carbon Density (t C/ha) | 129 | 142 | 151 | M=million, t=metric tons; all figures are mean carbon stock values
Cameroon Environmental profile
The following contains data relating to forest cover in Cameroon
Previous version of this profile (2009)
SECTIONS:
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Cameroon: Forest Cover, 2010
Total Land Area (1000 ha) | 47271 |
Total Forest Area (1000 ha) | 19916 |
Percent Forest Cover | 42 |
Primary Forest Cover (1000 ha) | - |
Primary Forest, % total forest | - |
Other wooded land (1000 ha) | 12715 |
Percent other wooded land | 27 |
Cameroon: Breakdown of forest types, 2010
Primary forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | - | - |
Other naturally regenerated forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | - | - |
Planted Forest (1000 ha | % of forest area) | - | - |
Cameroon: Trends in Total (Net) Forest Cover, 1990-2010
TOTAL FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
24316 | 22116 | 21016 | 19916 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -220 | -220 | -220 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.94 | -1.02 | -1.07 | |
Cameroon: Trends in Natural Forest Cover (Deforestation), 1990-2010
FOREST COVER (excluding planted forests) (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
24316 | 22116 | 20932 | 19916 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -220 | -220 | -220 | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| -0.9 | -0.90 | -0.99
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Cameroon: Trends in Primary or Old Growth Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PRIMARY FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
- | - | 0 | - | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| - | - | - | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| - | - | - | |
Cameroon: Trends in Planted Forest Cover, 1990-2010
PLANTED FOREST COVER (1000 ha) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
- | - | 84 | - | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (1000 ha) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| - | - | - | |
ANNUAL CHANGE RATE (percent) Negative number represents deforestation |
| 1990-2000 | 2000-2005 | 2005-2010 |
| - | - | - | |
Cameroon: Primary designated function (percent)
Production | Protection of soil and water | Conservation of biodiversity | Social services | Multiple use | Other | None or unknown |
73 | 3 | 17 | 1 | 6 | n.s. | 0 |
Cameroon: Forest ownership and management rights 2005 (percent)
OWNERSHIP PATTERN |
Public ownership | Private ownership | Other |
100 | 0 | 0 |
PRIVATE OWNERSHIP |
Individuals | Business entities and institutions | Local, indigenous and tribal communities |
- | - | - |
HOLDER OF MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF PUBLIC FORESTS |
Public administration | Individuals | Business
entities and Institutions | Communities | Other |
56 | 0 | 41 | 3 | 0 |
Cameroon: Growing stock in forest
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
6141 | 308 | 0 | 6141 | 18 |
GROWING STOCK IN FOREST |
Total (million m3) | Per hectare (m3) | Coniferous (million m3) | Broadleaved (million m3) | % commercial species |
244 | 19 | | | |
Cameroon: Trends in carbon stock in living forest biomass 1990-2010
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (million metric tons) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
3292 | 2993 | 2844 | 2696 |
CARBON STOCK IN LIVING FOREST BIOMASS (per hectare in tons) |
| | | 2000 |
| | | 135 |
ANNUAL CHANGE (1 000 t/yr) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| -30 | -30 | -30 |
ANNUAL CHANGE PER HECTARE (t/ha/yr) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 |
| n.s. | n.s. | n.s. |
Cameroon: Area of forest affected by fire and other disturbances 2005
FOREST FIRE |
1000 ha | % wild fire (not managed burn) |
497 | 83 |
EXCLUDING FOREST FIRE |
Insects | Diseases | Other biotic agents | Abiotic factors | Total (excluding fire) | % of 2005 forest area |
- | - | - | - | - | - |
Cameroon: Trends in removals of wood products 1990-2005
INDUSTRIAL ROUNDWOOD Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
3606 | 3138 | 3306 | - |
WOODFUEL Total volume (1 000 m3 over bark) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 | percent of which from forest 2005 |
11255 | 14742 | 16561 | - |
Cameroon: Value of wood and NWFP removals 2005
Value of removals (million US$) | Value per ha forest (US$) |
Industrial roundwood | Woodfuel | NWFP | Total | |
618 | - | - | - | - |
Cameroon: Employment in forestry 1990-2005
TOTAL (1000 full-time employees) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
- | - | - |
IN PRIMARY PRODUCTION OF GOODS-FORESTRY (1000 full-time employees) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
23 | 20 | - |
IN MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS-CONSERVATION (1000 full-time employees) |
1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
- | - | - |
Cameroon: Forest policy and legal framework 2008
National forest policy (year): Yes (1993)
Sub-national forest policy: No
National forest program (year) - status: Yes (2005) In implementation
National forest law (year): Specific forest law (1994)
Sub-national forest law: No
Cameroon: Human resources within public forest institutions 2000-2008
2000 | 2005 | 2008 |
# | % female | # | % female | # | % female |
- | - | - | - | 1865 | 20 |
Cameroon: Forest revenue and public expenditure on forestry 2005
Forest revenue | Public expenditure (1000 US$) |
| Domestic funding | External funding | Total |
(1000 US$) | Operational expenditure | Transfer payments | Operational expenditure | Transfer payments | Operational expenditure | Transfer payments |
46896 | - | - | - | - | - | -
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Cameroon: Status of ratification of international conventions and agreements as of 1 January 2010
CbD:
UNFCCC:
Kyoto Protocol:
UNCCD:
ITTA:
CITeS:
Ramsar:
World Heritage Convention:
NlbI:
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Cameroon: Environment
Environment - current issues | waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing | Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | Natural hazards | volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes |
Cameroon: Land use / Resources
Land use (%) | arable land: 12.81% permanent crops: 2.58% other: 84.61% (2001) | Natural resources | petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower |
Cameroon: Economy
Economy - overview: | Because of its oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however, the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. International oil and cocoa prices have considerable impact on the economy. | GDP - per capita | $2,000 (2005 est.) | GDP - real growth rate (%) | 5% (2005 est.) | Agriculture - products | coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber | GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 44.8%, industry: 17.3%, services: 37.9% (2005 est.) | Industries | petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair | Economic aid - recipient | on 23 January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26 billion | Debt - external | $9.223 billion (2005 est.) | Population below poverty line (%) | 48% (2000 est.) | Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17% |
Cameroon: Population / Demographics
Population (July 2005) | 16,380,005 | Population growth rate (%) (2005) | 1.93% | Population density (people/sq km) (2005) | 34.9 | Percent rural (2003) | 48.6% | Median age (years) | total: 18.6 years | Total fertility rate (children born/woman) | 4.47 (2005 est.) | Ethnic groups (%) | Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1% |
Largest Cities in Cameroon
Cities and urban areas in Cameroon with population over 100,000 All figures are estimates for 2002.
City | Country | City Population | Urban Area Population |
Douala | Cameroon | 1239100 | 1449400 |
Yaound� | Cameroon | 1122500 | 1356600 |
Garoua | Cameroon | 185800 | 185800 |
Maroua | Cameroon | 169200 | 169200 |
Bafoussam | Cameroon | 151800 | 151800 |
Bamenda | Cameroon | 149900 | 149900 |
Ngaound�r� | Cameroon | 130600 | 130600 |
Nkongsamba | Cameroon | 109200 | 109200 |
Ka�l� | Cameroon | 103200 | 103200 |
Kumba | Cameroon | 100400 | 100400 |
Cameroon: Infrastructure
Telephones - main lines in use | 110,900 (2002) | Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.077 million (2003) | Roadways (km) | total: 80,932 km paved: 5,398 km unpaved: 75,534 km (2002) |
Cameroon: Health
Life expectancy at birth (years) | total population: 50.89 years male: 50.71 years female: 51.08 years (2005 est.) | Infant mortality rate | 68.26 deaths/1,000 live births | HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) | 6.9% (2003 est.) | Major infectious diseases | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2004) |
Cameroon
: References & Data Sources
Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005 & 2010) and the State of the World's Forests (2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001)
Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.
Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.
RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.
World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site
The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund
With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com
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