Agro-pastoral Landuse Transformation: Implications and Perspectives in the Northwest Region of Cameroon

This dissertation centers on the human-environmental problem of agro-pastoral landuse transformation in Northwest Cameroon, identifying population pressure, climate change, environmental degradation, land grabbing, change in traditional land tenure systems and poor landuse policies as major drivers of agrarian landuse conversion and livelihood insecurity. The agro-pastoral landscape transformation in this study is linked to environmental degradation, food insecurity, disruption of indigenous African cultures, poverty, unemployment, gender related issues, farmer-herder conflicts, inter-tribal wars, malnutrition, water and hunger related crises, and human displacement for survival. These negative implications threaten rural livelihood and weaken development infrastructures at various levels. Data for this research were obtained mainly through field survey that used structured and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussion, photography of phenomena related to the study and on-the-spot, and participant observation. Interviews were conducted with public officials, researchers, native farmers and Fulani agro-pastoralists in the field. Such an interdisciplinary approach used documentary analysis, GIS and remote sensing techniques to investigate the problem of agro-pastoral landuse transformation in Northwest Cameroon, with special attention paid to the city of Bamenda and its environs. The study indicates that the carrying capacity of the agro-pastoral landscape of Northwest Cameroon has severely deteriorated due to the negative effects of population growth, poor landuse policies and environmental degradation, making it difficult for the local population to adapt to its natural environment. These human-environmental stressors and their subsequent effects have persistently posed the most challenging questions of environmental sustainability and human adaptation in the majority of populations in Northwest Cameroon. Such landscape sustainability issues are behind some of the most inhumane conditions in agrarian communities that need urgent reconciliation through institutional arrangements for policy implementation alongside planned adaptation strategies by stakeholders. A major area of urgent policy concern in this regard is the provision of land rights, access, ownership and sustainable management of shared agro-pastoral resources, which is needed to facilitate the adaptation process of native farmers and Fulani pastoralists in their various communities in the region.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geosciences (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Mbih, Richard Achia

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Driever, Steven L.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10355/46540

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/46540