The Japanese Embassy in Cameroon donated 1.14 billion FCFA in equipment to the Ministry of Forests and Wildlife (Minfof) on Wednesday to support anti-poaching efforts and preserve the country’s biodiversity.
The donation includes 16 pickup trucks, four generators, and three geospatial analysis systems. The equipment will be used to support the second-generation Forestry Information Management System (Sigif 2) and the checkpoints established as part of this system.
Minfof anticipates that with the implementation of Sigif 2, Cameroon should see a 25% to 30% increase in tax revenues related to forestry taxes.
According to Minfof data from 2018, Cameroon has approximately 22 million hectares of forests, covering nearly 46% of its total area. Deforestation is a major issue in Cameroon, driven by land conversion for agriculture, firewood harvesting, mining, and infrastructure development. Illegal and unsustainable logging also contributes significantly to forest degradation.
Through this donation, the Japanese government aims to support Cameroon’s efforts in sustainable forest management and biodiversity preservation.
