Environmental issues bother more Cameroonians than jobs, Afrobarameter reports
Nchendzengang Tatah
On a bus from one town to another in Cameroon, there is a high probability of hearing people discussing environment-related issues more than employment.
Afrobarameter in a survey carried out in 34 African countries in 2021 to 2023, reports that 52% of their respondents will want government to prioritise environmental protection.
According to the report published in the Continent Magazine, Issue 164 of June 1, 2024, sixteen countries over the continent had more people concerned about the environment with twenty others prioritizing jobs.
The issue of the environment has stimulated national discussions for some time now following various disasters across Cameroon. According to Prof. Nkwatoh Athanasius Fuashi, a leading researcher in Forest Resources Economics and Management, the leading environmental challenges are climate change and pollution.
A case in point cited by Prof. Fuashi is Buea, where a flash flood in the first quarter of 2023 claimed two lives. Indigenes have said such massive water movement has not been recorded in their recorded history. Environmentalists blamed construction on drainage lines for the severity of the incident.
Residents of the town have continued to worry over rising temperatures and reduced rainfall in recent years. Inadequate waste disposal is also visible with overflowing bins and stinky waste sites throughout the town. Buea is located at the foot of an active volcano, Mount Cameroon.
With a focus on the environment during the 31st edition of World Press Freedom Day, journalists have become stirred towards these issues too. Journalism training institutions like the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Buea envisage introducing special courses on environmental journalism as disclosed by its chair, Dr. Nengieh Lizzie.
