By Bakah Derick    Preventing or managing bushfires requires a good communication strategy. While organisations with the competences like Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) are engaging from several fronts including communication and sensitisation, community leaders and other stakeholders will require to also communicate effectively at this time. When we contacted our consultant Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy, Director of CAMGEW on ways of communication at this time he suggested the following  There is need for organisation of training workshops, seminars, sensitization in social and cultural groups by key bushfire actors and concerned individuals and institutions like CAMGEW.  Radio talks targeting communities with potentials of bushfires must be regular during this period. Communities and organisations can also product and distribute bushfire posters/flyers, booklets, Forest signpost for sensitisation The community needs to make use of the Town Criers for information and sensit

By Bakah Derick  One of the measure tools in bushfire prevention and management is the identification of stakeholders. These are the people or institutions that can make decisions that will enhance the fight against bushfires. Their decisions can facilitate sensitization, community engagement as well as handling defaulters.   Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy Director of Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) first from left after a bushfire incident  With several years of working around the Kilum-Ijim forest area, our environmental protection consultant Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy Director of Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) has identified the following as community stakeholders in the bushfire prevention and management process.  The traditional administration represented by Kwifon/Fon respected and feared by community members,  Municipal council represented by the Mayor and councilors elected by the community members and consequently can be listened to The Ministry

By Bakah Derick  This is the time of the calender year when bushfires are common. Vegetation is getting dry and intensive farming will resume soon. It is therefore important to be on the watch now so as to minimise the occurrence of bushfire.  According to Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW)  bushfires mostly occur during public holidays when people are resting at home, on weekends when forest people are attending other festive events, on traditional resting days (kontri Sunday) when forest people respect their traditional days by staying home and on Fridays or Sundays when there is religious services.  "Records of bushfires in Kilum-Ijim forest have proven this. On 11th February 2014 during National Youth Day when everyone was in the celebration ground in Elak – Oku fire emerged from a farm close to the forest at Nchiiy Community Forest and got into the forest. Before community members could leave the ceremonial ground to go home and change their attire and

By Bakah Derick It is that time of the year when we have bushfires in the North West Region. These bushfires have remained a serious threat to livelihoods and the environment. These bushfires have been been largely responsible for the destruction of biodiversity, water catchments, bee hives, farms, research sources and sometimes human life. Fighting bushfires is key and to get this work community solidarity is important.  Our consultant on environmental protection is Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy. He is the Director of Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW) working in the Kilum-Ijim forest area located in parts of Bui and Boyo Divisions. He shared the following with Hilltopvoices as the potential causes of bushfires at this time.  The activities of hunters in and around the forest area. Some of them deliberately introduce flames with the intention to scare animals from their hideouts. This eventual turn to uncontrollable wide fires.  Slash-and-burn or Ankara is a common fa