The Impact of Income Generating Activities on the Environment: The Experience of Some Five Neighbouring Villages of Mt. Cameroon

Abstract

The paper analyses the Impact of Income Generating Activities on the Environment of some neighbouring villages of Mount Cameroon. Data on access to land resources, exploitation of resources and its impact on the environment, and conflicting scenarios is obtained through a structured questionnaire and participant observation. The key findings of the study show that land resources are either inherited, leased, bought or acquired free of charge if they have never been exploited before. Income generating activities range from cultivation of cocoyams, yams, banana, plantains and vegetables; harvesting of spices and firewood; bee farming, snail farming, pig farming, goat rearing and hunting. Also, the study reveals that there is a strong and significant relationship between the mode of exploitation of land and environment degradation. Unsustainable farming practices include slash and burn, short-leases, shifting cultivation and illegal hunting of protected species which conflict with ecological and environmental regulations. Other situations of conflict arise when farmers encroach into farmland of neighbours in the same village or other neighbouring villages. Against this background the paper sees the need to continuously incorporate all stakeholders in these villages in the management of environmental resources as well as jointly creating buffer zones in the region to prevent unsustainable encroachment into habitats yet unexploited in the mountain. The paper posits that sustainable exploitation of resources in the region should respect outlined ecological and environmental criteria.

Keywords: Income generating activities, environment, Cameroon

JEL classification: B40, O44, Q01, Q50.