Climate change issues deserve greater attention because the impact on the economy, health and agriculture is far reaching.

Climate change or recurrent, prolonged changes in weather patterns is no longer new in Cameroon. And the people are already living some of the effects. As a result, the issue is no longer a ‘foreign’ idea that only receives occasional mention in the media or intellectual circles.

Climate change often manifests through high temperatures, rise in sea levels, break down of glaciers, floods, droughts, famine, heat waves, rise in number of cyclones, bush fires, low agricultural production, loss of biodiversity, etc. Perhaps, the most devastating effects of climate change are on the economy. “Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it’s about development. Its effects such as droughts and repeated floods can wipe out years of development efforts with heavy toll on human and animal life and on the environment,” explains Wongibe Emmanuel, a climate change journalism trainer.

According to the Ministry of Environment and Protection of Nature, MINEP, since the advent of the Industrial Revolution, man, through various activities (use of fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture, transport, industry, and land use) has emitted great quantities of gases into the atmosphere with varying degrees of impact on the environment. For example, irregular rainfalls and seasons lead to poor agricultural production, famines and hikes in food prices.

They also impact the cost of hydroelectricity generation through dwindling levels of water in dams. This cost is eventually passed on to customers through high, dry season bills. Increases in cost of hydroelectricity generation as a result of low levels of water in dams also affects business and industry as electricity supply is often disrupted, at times forcing businesses to resort to using their own generating sets that are inevitably more expensive to run. Erratic rainfall has direct link to the growing rate of desertification, especially in the North West and northern regions, says a MINEP report. This seriously impacts agricultural production. With unpredictable rainfall, pasture and livestock development are also affected. For purely livestock farmers, losing animals could mean the end to any form of livelihood.

On the other hand, the impact of climate change on biodiversity inevitably affects eco-tourism. If wildlife and their habitats are destroyed, both local communities and the economy suffer as tourists will find no more reason to visit such destinations. Shortages in arable land caused partly climate change and increases in population have often led to deadly communal clashes in the North West Region with heavy toll on property, human and animal life. Not left out is the prevalence of certain diseases linked to water and high levels of heat such as meningitis, cholera, typhoid, diarrhea and malaria; and the cost of treating them. Similarly, increases in floods, erosion of coastal areas and other natural disasters often result in much economic damage to infrastructure that had taken years and much money to construct.