There is high rate of degradation of Bamboutos mountain forest due to unsustainable exploitation of Mountain forest resources for livelihood by forest-dependent communities as the only option to supplement already low incomes. They depend on the forest for food, water, firewood, medicines, meat and increasingly, income from tourism. The most serious anthropogenic influences are fires and the grazing domestic animals. As a result of human influences, the forest has lost its mega-fauna, including notable species such as leopards, antelopes, chimpanzees etc.

The Mbororo Pastoralists who are the marginalized minority group in Cameroon live mostly in the savannah and mountain areas of the country including the Bambotos Mountains with livestock rearing as their major economic activity and source of livelihood. With this activities they are mostly in conflicts with their negboring farmers on crop and livestock damages which at times leads to the distruction of properties and humans.

The Mbororo Pastoralists lived a migratory life moving from one place to another in search for pasture and water for their animals. For this reason they are easily manipulated by their host (politicians, Farmers and traditional rolers etc) who continue to consider them as strangers. As such, they face conflicts, exclusion and have limited access to public services and basic rights to enjoy the natural resource of the country.

The project aim to promote and support alternative livelihood development geared towards hunters, farmers and grazers, youths and other peasants by promoting farmers/grazers conflicts resolution for peace building, pasture improvement for improve livestocks, sustainable farming practices to increase crop yields, fruit trees propagation for income and Bee keeping for food, medicine and alternative sources of income which will help community members around Bambotos mountain create jobs and generate more revenue. By promoting economic development, the project will help to reduce enormously the pressure on the critical biodiversity habitats in and within the Bambotos Mountains.

The 03 local communities around the mountain are where deforestation has the most immediate effect. With forest loss, the local community loses the system that performed valuable but often under-appreciated services like ensuring the regular flow of clean water and protecting the community from flood and drought. The forest acts as a sort of sponge, soaking up rainfall brought by tropical storms while anchoring soils and releasing water at regular intervals.

Today in the project area most forest fires originate in nearby pasturelands and agricultural fields where fires are used for land clearing. If the project is not implemented, during the dry season, tens of thousands of fires will be set by land speculators, grazers, hunters, and poor farmers to clear bush and forest for their different interest. Under dry conditions the fire can easily spread into the mountains.

The project will be participatory; planning for different project activities was planned in a participatory manner involving some stakeholders and service provision partners.

Terms of references and contracts per activities will be developed following the project activities and expected results. Partners will sign contracts and respects the terms of reference.

There will be two evaluations with partners, progressive/ midterm and final evaluation, the progressive evaluation will be carry out to correct all the gaps hindering the successful implementation of the project and the final evaluation will be to measure the success rate of the project and to plan for replication in future projects.

The project will address the identified problems through trainings, practical demonstrations and materials/equipment support.

The following will be the project activities;

a) Grouping of beneficiaries into 06 dialogue platforms made up of hunter, farmers, Mbororo grazers, women, youths and traditional authorities in 03 communities of the Bambotos mountains.

b) Carry out training on Sustainable Agriculture establishing contours and ridging on steep slopes to reduce erosion and run-off (soil and water conservation), promote gardening with the use of cattle dunk as organic fertilizers.
c) Introduction and training on alternative conflicts resolution for 06 dialogue platforms to enhance peaceful coexistence and community development by all stakeholders. Enabling environment for businesses and jobs.

d) Introduce and train 06 dialogue platforms on farming alliances for peace building and cohabitation by grazers and farmers and job creation from gardening activities.

e) Carry out training on pasture improvement and establish seed bank with bracharia and guatamala grass with Mbororo grazers to reduce conflicts and increase pastoral milk production for income generation and livelihood improvement.
f) Train and establish tree nurseries for income, food, timber, soil improvement, fuelwood, medicine, fruit and job creation with 06 dialogue platforms train on grafting and marcoting.
g) Train 06 dialogue platforms on Beekeeping and support improvement on processing of honey and wax using top-bar hives to increase household income and job creation; tree planting for improved forest honey production.

 Biodiversity

 Forest Resources

 Environmental protection

 Horizon Europe