DEFORESTATION AND ITS IMPACTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE, A CASE STUDY OF THE EAST REGION OF CAMEROON

Abstract

Trees, the silent guardians of our planet, absorb carbon dioxide, regulate temperatures, and maintain biodiversity. But when they're cut down in large numbers more than how they are planted, their ability to capture carbon, purify the atmosphere and create a beautiful environment stops to exist hence, leaving excess greenhouse gases to trap heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming which is a major cause of climate change. The effects of deforestation in Cameroon such as the erosion of agricultural lands, drying up of water bodies during the dry season, desertification, disappearance of some major plant and animal species, modifications of both local and regional climatic conditions and global warming through its effect on the global carbon cycle are the most common drivers of climate change. This study assessed the forest cover change in the East Region of Cameroon between 2001 and 2023 using data gotten from GIS. The results revealed consistent and accelerating deforestation patterns, primarily driven by agricultural expansion, logging, and infrastructure development. Forest gain during the study period was minimal and insufficient to offset the loss. This work lays emphasis on how important it is to effectively use and manage our land, reforestation efforts, and improve forest governance. The results of several studies proved that at least 40 percent of the deforestation activities taking place in the East of Cameroon is caused by logging (cutting or felling trees and preparing them for timbers), this is in line with my findings and results listed in chapter four of this work. The increasing logging activities can be said to have been brought about as an increase in the worlds population and increasing demands for products made out of wood, for example, furniture, planks for construction and a couple of other products.