Current vulnerability in the Tri-National de la Sangha landscape, Cameroon

The document details a participatory vulnerability assessment conducted between 2011 and 2012 in the Tri-National de la Sangha (TNS) landscape of Cameroon. It identifies that local populations face increasing vulnerability due to erratic rainfall patterns and shifting seasons, which primarily impact agricultural production and food security. While livelihood diversification and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) provide essential safety nets, the report highlights a weakness in collective action for social infrastructure. To strengthen adaptive capacity, the authors suggest improving NTFP commercialisation, introducing alternative livelihoods like apiculture, enhancing agricultural yields to reduce forest pressure, and implementing participatory monitoring of deforestation.

• Local villagers have observed significant ecological and social shifts since the 1970s, noting that competition for land and forest resources has degraded forests and increased livelihood fragility as population grows and rainfall becomes more uncertain.
• The primary climate-related threats identified by local communities include strong winds and disturbances in seasonal timing, specifically prolonged dry spells, prolonged wet seasons, and erratic rainfall during dry seasons.
• Vulnerability is differentiated by social group and activity; children and the elderly are the most vulnerable social groups, while agriculture is the most exposed activity, with unpredictable rainfall negatively impacting food security and the local economy.
• To compensate for lower agricultural productivity caused by seasonal changes, villagers have expanded the area of land they cultivate, which has increased pressure on other dependent natural resources.
• Livelihood diversification serves as a key adaptive strength, with households relying on agriculture, logging, hunting, mining, and the collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), the latter of which act as critical safety nets during periods of stress.
• Collective action for the maintenance of social infrastructure and the management of common goods, including those derived from community forests (CFs), is generally weak in the studied villages.

APA

Devisscher, T., Bharwani, S., Tiani, A. M., & Pavageau, C. (2013). Current vulnerability in the Tri-National de la Sangha landscape, Cameroon. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/cobam-2013-cameroon-briefing.pdf

Chicago

Devisscher, Tahia, Sukaina Bharwani, Anne Marie Tiani, and Charlotte Pavageau. Current vulnerability in the Tri-National de la Sangha landscape, Cameroon. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2013. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/cobam-2013-cameroon-briefing.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Devisscher |first1=Tahia |last2=Bharwani |first2=Sukaina |last3=Tiani |first3=Anne Marie |last4=Pavageau |first4=Charlotte |title=Current vulnerability in the Tri-National de la Sangha landscape, Cameroon |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=April 2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/cobam-2013-cameroon-briefing.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{devisscher2013current, author = {Devisscher, Tahia and Bharwani, Sukaina and Tiani, Anne Marie and Pavageau, Charlotte}, title = {{Current vulnerability in the Tri-National de la Sangha landscape, Cameroon}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/cobam-2013-cameroon-briefing.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }