Nowadays, forest management activities are overlapping with big development projects (roads construction, Lom Pangar and Menve’le hydroelectric power plants, plans of a deep seaport in Kribi...), agricultural extension and other natural resources exploitations (iron, oil, gold, diamond...). Usually, decisions about these activities are not transparent. For instance, allocation processes of land for mining or agricultural extension are not transparent. Local populations are most of the time informed when the deal is already concluded between the State and the beneficiary. This is the case of the extension of HEVECAM in the Kribi region and the creation of 80,000 ha palm oil plantation in Ndian division where populations are not officially informed. But for roads constructions, local communities are most of the time consulted and compensations are given to those affected by the project (Yaounde-Nsoa national road). Concerning large infrastructure projects the information about their planning is often publicly known, but not the detailed plans. All those projects are normally subjected to the preparation of an environmental impact assessment, prior to the beginning of their activities, except for mining operations, where the EIA is due after the exploration phase, before the beginning of exploitation. Read more...
