Experts push for balancing of growth, conservation amidst dev’t drive.

The brainstorming session was organised by the United Kingdom High Commission to Cameroon. 

It was an opportunity for the specialists to brainstorm on issues plaguing the forestry, conservation and development sector as well as the best possible ways to handle them.

According to environmental advocate and Secretary General of the Centre for Environment and Development, CED, Samuel Nguifo, Cameroon is not merely a choice but an obligation to pursue economic growth while protecting its natural environment. 

Speaking on the country's development trajectory, he noted that sectors such as agriculture, mining, logging, and large-scale infrastructure must continue advancing alongside efforts to safeguard nature.

“We were trying to understand how a country like Cameroon could, at the same time, protect its environment, protect the nature, and continue the economic growth path that we are following so far,” he said.

Nguifo also mentioned the need for more efficient management of natural resources and improved agricultural productivity, warning that failure to do so could leave Cameroon on the path of food insecurity and over reliance on food imports. 

“If we don't do it, we will probably not be able to feed our population in the coming years, and we will be relying more than today on food imports to feed the population, and this is not what we want to do,” he warned.  

Challenges hindering climate action in Congo Basin 

Another panelist, Arrah Emmanuel, Sustainable Finance Manager for the Zoological Society of London, ZSL-West and Central Africa, praised the initiative, calling for the holding of more of such reflections to be able to come up with suggestions that can be implemented to ensure a smooth and sustainable growth in the sector. 

Going by the consultant, two key challenges hindering climate action in the Congo Basin can be identified and they include insufficient access to climate finance and lack of evidence-based implementation.

Despite its huge potential as the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest spanning 3.7 million km2 and a vital global carbon sink, he regretted that Congo Basin rainforest region has not been able to attract or capitalise on adequate climate finance to address its environmental challenges. 

The experts insisted on the need for a clear strategy to mobilise such funding. While spotlighting on the shortage of data-driven research to support negotiations and policy arguments, he stressed that without solid evidence, it becomes difficult to influence the business and political sectors. 

“People don't have sufficient information to back some of their arguments and their negotiations. So, we have, like in ZSL, a lot of evidence-based projects which we carry out, where you have the numbers to back some of your decisions. Hence, it makes it easier to talk with the business sector, the political sector, and influence policy,” he stated.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3825 of Monday June 22, 2026