Research & Policy
Climate Change
Northern Cameroon has violent winds, floods, landslides, erosion, and increased incidences of drought and desert advancement that have scorched large expanses of land. In the Adamawa, a region exposed to seismic and volcanic risks, landslides caused by heavy rains are the most recurrent risks. Average annual temperature has gone up by 0.86°C over 46 years, from 24.28°C in 1974 to 25.14°C in 2020. average annual precipitation over Cameroon has declined by 2.9mm per decade since 1960, with a particularly low average of rainfall in 2015.
See how you can support us
To minimise the impacts of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions should be lowered immediately. This is possible through sustainable innovation and integration of renewable energy into Cameroon.
Volatile climatic conditions obstruct production of the food crops upon which the region depends, and water shortages harm the livelihoods of fishers and farmers as well as herders. Induced by erratic rain patterns and the drying of reservoirs because of severe droughts, water scarcity has fuelled violent fights between Choa Arab herders and Musgum fishers and farmers on the Logone-Birni floodplain. As the drivers of the conflict have not been addressed and economic and social inclusion have not been promoted in areas of the North, violence continues to increase, creating massive displacement spill over effects in neighbouring communities that are now more easily targeted .


Climate change is expected to affect Cameroon’s climatic zones differently, and extreme weather events will become more frequent and intense. Under the worst-case climate scenario, temperatures are predicted to surge on average by 3.9°C over the next 20 years with wide variations depending on areas. Rainfall is expected to increase on average from 5.8 millimetres over the next 20 years to 10.4 millimetres by 2100[1]. Impact, however, are predicted to impact region disproportionately. The Sahelian North is projected to be most aggressively impacted by drought, the Highlands in the West are susceptible to erosion, floods, and landslides. 9% of the population currently reside in drought-affected conditions, making 8% of the country’s GDP vulnerable. Livestock is an important asset and contributor to household food and nutrition security. By 2050, if drastic climate change adaptation measures are not undertaken, more than 2.6 million units of livestock (71% current count) are expected to be under drought-induced stress conditions annually. More than 100,000 tons of crops, including 20,000 tons of maize, are also affected by weather shocks annually.
Equally, the occurrence of natural disasters such as flooding has increased significantly in the last 40 years[2]. Debilitating droughts in the Far North region contribute to already alarming rates of food insecurity and loss of livelihoods. About 16% of the Far North population is in a food crisis.
Changepoints:
- Promote transition to clean energy
- Implement systems for fair response to climate change on people and planet
- Increase knowledge of climate change
Advocacy for adaption and mitigation
