Opportunities and Challenges of Sustainable Forest Management for a Green Economy Transition in Cameroon

Abstract

The unfolding biodiversity and climate crises provide an opportunity to reconsider orthodox growth and business models. These concurrent crises have been considered as key drivers of the new paradigm of green economy. Beyond the direct provision of timber products, forests play different roles in the carbon cycle, and are a foundation for the green economy. With recent developments on issues related to sustainable development in the face of the urgency to mitigate the challenges posed by climate change, and in making the transition towards the green economy, the linkage between sustainable forest management and green economy has gained new policy momentum. In this study, we adopt a qualitative review to highlight the potentials of the forest sector in contributing to a green economy transition in a typical developing country such as Cameroon. The paper underscores the principal challenges and opportunities for more sustainable and equitable management of forest resources, and unveils the range of green investments in forests and their likely implications on the timber industry, community livelihoods and ecosystem services. The paper establishes that sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation is central in the transition to a green economy.

Keywords: Cameroon, Green Economy, Forest, Sustainable Management.