Kilum-Ijim Site

The region

Situated in the North-West Province, the Kilum-Ijim forest is the vastest relic of the afro-montane forests of West and Central Africa. The forest extends from Mount Kilum (3,011 m) to the Ijim Ridge (2,000-2,500 m) surrounding Lake Oku. The forest is the source of most of the rivers and catchments in the region, that are the only water source for domestic use.

This site is of great conservation importance because of the reconstitution of montane forests, the conservation of birdlife and rare species. It is home to montane birds species that are endemic to Cameroon. Two of them, the Bannerman’s Turaco (Tauraco bannermani) and the Banded Wattle-eye (Platysteira laticincta) are endemic to the Kilum-Ijim region. Furthermore, six small mammal species and two amphibians are only found in this forest, where also 40 plant species endemic for the Cameroon Highlands occur.

The project

The project intervention zone for this component is located on the peaks and flanks of the mountains surrounding the Mounts Kilum and Ijim. Here one finds montane forests with a great influence from moisture brought in by clouds.

History of the project:

The “Kilum Mountain Forest Project” was created in 1987 and based in Elak-Oku, followed in 1992 by the set up of the “Ijim Mountain Forest Project” in Anyajua. The two projects were integrated into the “Kilum-Ijim Forest Project” in 1995. The Kilum-Ijim Forest Project was financed by the PCGBC on GEF funding during the 1996-2000 period and was executed by Birdlife International. For the same period, the project also received financial contributions from DFID, WWF, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Birdlife International.

After the first two phases of project execution, a last phase was negotiated and established thanks to the accomplishments obtained with GEF funding. From then on, the Kilum-Ijim Forest Project is part of a biodiversity conservation programme called “Community Based Conservation of Bamenda Highlands”, that started in 2000 and shall continue till 2004.

Objectives:

1. Carry out ecological surveys on flora and fauna
2. Capacity building of communities and traditional and administrative authorities to implement and manage community forests
3. Establish a participatory management system for the conservation and sustainable use of the forest, including an eco-monitoring programme
4. Improve the living conditions of local populations a way to contribute to soil and forest conservation by implementing a programme for alternative and income generating activities.