The 2016 reforestation campaign is on course in the North West Region with nine councils and groups empowered to plant about 14,500 trees on 36.25 hectares and manage about 26,000 trees on 55 hectares.

The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife is supporting the campaign with FCFA 20.5 million. The deals were signed in Bamenda on June 28, 2016.

The sum of FCFA 1 million will each be paid to the Belo and Elak Councils, Ndong Youth Group Association of Noni, SIRDEP, Njung Handicraft Common Initiative Group and OREP Oku, to manage trees they planted.

On the other hand, the Oku-based Society for the Promotion of Initiative and Sustainable Development and Welfare (SOPISDEW), will receive FCFA 3 million to plant 3,000 trees on 71.2 hectares, while Nkambe Council is to receive FCFA 8.5 million to plant 8,500 trees on 21.25 hectares.

The Permanent Secretary in the North West Governor’s office, Monono Wolua, who presided the event, challenged beneficiaries to adopt responsible attitude, embrace the campaign and produce good results because it is all about government funds that require transparency and accountability.

He stressed the dividends of the campaign that is expected to beautify towns.

Monono Wolua challenged councils to implement the concept of urban forestry and enhance the sustainability vision of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife with the aim to reduce by 32 per cent green house gas emissions on the strength of the commitment by Heads of State at the COP 21 Summit in Paris, France last year.

The event also blamed deforestation for pressure on forest resources because of high demand for usable wood, energy and other non-timber forest products. Stakeholders acknowledged that in the face of the threat, urban and semi urban forestry should be promoted for tourism.

The Regional Delegate for Forestry and Wildlife, Mbelly Lucien Desire, later took stakeholders out for symbolic tree planting that set the pace for the campaign.