The Minister Of Forestry And Wildlife Grants Audience To The Ambassador Of The European Union To Cameroon On The NATURAFRICA Program
  • Date de Publication : 2023-01-20

The Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Mr. Jules Doret NDONGO, received in audience the Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Cameroon, His Excellency Philippe Van Damme, in the conference room of the ministerial building No. 2, on 19 January 2023.

Very fruitful discussions were held on the objectives and missions of the European Union's NaturAfrica program. These included, among others:
The protection of biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa;
Preparing for evaluation missions and perspectives;
Governance structure;
Identification of key landscapes for conservation and development;
Negotiating forest partnerships; as well as
Improving security and sustainable livelihoods.

At the end of the discussions, some of the resolutions expressed by the Minister mainly converged around the protection and preservation of protected areas. He also called for a well-designed prototype project by NaturAfrica; adaptation, allocation of funds and identification of sites.

He also suggested that it would be important to look at less extensive agriculture, that is, taking up as little space as possible. The Minister also suggested that Divisional Delegates should be involved in the effective identification of sites for better forest governance.

The NaturAfrica program starts this year and goes beyond the geographical boundaries of ECCAS to cover the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. The program will focus on development actions in key landscapes as part of the EU's strategic approach to wildlife conservation in Africa.