The Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Bamenda has called for community-led action to tackle climate change, protect dwindling water sources and prevent resource-related tensions in the North West Region.
The call emerged from a public presentation of research findings on climate change and community vulnerability in the North West Region of Cameroon: A sharpener of collective harmony shift, held in Bamenda on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. The gathering brought together religious and traditional authorities, researchers, environmental officials and civil society organisations to examine how environmental degradation affects livelihoods and community relations.
Opening the event, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya warned that the effects of climate change were increasingly visible in everyday life, citing shrinking rivers, disappearing forests and rising temperatures. He urged participants to turn research findings into practical measures, stressing that environmental protection was a shared responsibility.
“A challenge that affects everyone can become a great reason for division if we respond with indifference, competition, and blame. But that same challenge can become a reason of solidarity if we respond with wisdom, compassion, and a willingness to work together,” he said.
Presenting the research on behalf of Professor Mark Bolak Funteh, Professor Niba Mary examined the relationship between climate change, environmental degradation and community vulnerability. The findings highlighted deforestation, slash-and-burn agriculture, bushfires, overgrazing, wetland degradation and unplanned urban expansion among the human activities placing pressure on the environment.
These pressures, alongside changing rainfall patterns and rising temperatures, contribute to flooding, erosion, landslides and declining water availability. They also affect agricultural production and household livelihoods, potentially intensifying competition over land and water.
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Traditional leaders presented local measures that could help communities respond. Fon T.T. Tabi Teghencha of Zang Tabi outlined eight areas for action, including tree planting, forest and water-catchment protection, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable livestock management, environmental education, renewable energy and community-led environmental initiatives.
A theatre performance by students of the University of Bamenda’s Department of Theatre Arts illustrated how competition between farmers and cattle rearers over land and grazing resources can generate conflict. It presented cooperation, including the use of animal manure on farms and better management of grazing areas, as a practical alternative.
During the panel discussion, participants emphasised protecting water catchments, planting appropriate trees, improving environmental education and promoting cooperation between farmers and cattle rearers. They also noted that water shortages place additional burdens on women and girls, calling for women to participate meaningfully in climate and water-management decisions.
At the close of the discussions, Raphaela Kianda, coordinator of the Justice and Peace Commission, presented four broad recommendations drawn from participants’ exchanges. They call for stronger community-based adaptation, protection of vulnerable groups, an interfaith and community climate action platform, and wider public education on climate change.
Proposed measures include climate-smart farming, agroforestry, soil conservation, tree planting, protection of water sources and community disaster-preparedness plans. Participants also advocated involving women, young people, smallholder farmers, older persons and persons with disabilities in decision-making, while promoting livelihood diversification and skills development.
The proposed platform would bring together religious leaders, traditional authorities, youth groups, women’s associations and civil society organisations to raise awareness, mediate disputes over natural resources and coordinate initiatives such as tree planting, waste management and watershed protection.
Closing the event, Archbishop Nkea urged the Commission to expand the eight strategies presented by Fon Tabi Teghencha and circulate them among traditional rulers across the Archdiocese. He also called for continued research and practical initiatives to protect water catchments and channels, warning that communities could not afford to remain passive as water sources came under pressure.
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Speaking after the event, the prelate said public sensitisation was essential, particularly in Bamenda and surrounding villages. He linked environmental protection to peacebuilding, arguing that reducing competition over scarce resources could help ease tensions.
“Each one of us must contribute for the growth of the ecological system and the protection of the environment in which we live,” he said.
Talking to Hilltopvoies, Fon Asaah Ndefru Angwafor IV of Mankon said he would take the lessons from the forum to his traditional council, which meets with quarter heads and councillors every three months to discuss community concerns.
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Derek Nchiaghan of the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development (MINEPDED) identified flooding, erosion, landslides and unpredictable rainfall as major concerns in the Bamenda Highlands. He cited deforestation, land degradation, emissions from vehicles and cooling systems, and urban expansion that reduces vegetation and increases surface runoff.
“The change is real, so climate is changing, and we are feeling it on our bodies,” Nchiaghan said, calling for environmental awareness and action at community level.
Nchiaghan urged religious leaders to use their platforms to promote climate awareness, traditional rulers to engage their communities, and civil society organisations to strengthen grassroots action.
The forum’s central message was that protecting the environment requires more than awareness: it demands coordinated local action that safeguards livelihoods, reduces pressure on shared resources and supports peaceful coexistence.
By Bakah Derick for Hiltopvoices Web
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