VZCZCXRO1630
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHYD #0582 1801550
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291550Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0049
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS YAOUNDE 000582 
 
SIPDIS 
 
Department for AF/C and OES 
Department Pass USAID 
USDOC for ITA - Burress 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV CM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON: Environmental Update 
 
¶1. SUMMARY (U): Embassy Yaounde has an active environmental 
engagement, both within the Embassy community and around Cameroon. 
This work has included workshops, tree plantings, and donations to 
park rangers.  End Summary 
 
World Environmental Day 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) In collaboration with USAID-funded Central African Regional 
Program for the Environment (CARPE) and the Network for the 
Environment and Sustainable Development in Africa (NESDA), post 
hosted a World Environment Day workshop on June 4, 2009.  Experts 
from research institutions, government ministries and 
non-governmental organization spoke on how climate change has 
affected Cameroon.  The event also featured a documentary on 
Northern Cameroon's drought and desertification problems, produced 
by the British High Commission.  The Ambassador gave remarks which 
received extensive media coverage. 
 
A "Greener" Embassy 
------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Post's Facilities Maintenance (FM) section is working hard to 
secure membership in the League of Green Embassies.  Post has 
sponsored a large tree planting project across Embassy grounds, 
inviting the Minister of Forests and Fauna to help plant trees.  FM 
has set up beehives on embassy grounds in order to facilitate 
cross-pollination for plants.  Packing materials such as wooden 
crates and boxes are reused as much as possible. The landscaping 
contractor for post also recycles wood shavings and sawdust from the 
carpentry shop into mulch. FM has received funding to utilize Solar 
Power for heating of the Swimming Pool. The section has converted 
from incandescent to all compact fluorescent lamps and received 
buy-in from the RSO Shop to utilize more energy efficient 
fluorescent light fixtures in the residential areas rather than 
high-energy consuming light fixtures like Mercury Vapor or Quartz 
Halogen. 
 
¶4. U) Post's environmental working group has also implemented 
several projects during the last year.  The most recent was a "call 
to action" email to embassy employees, asking them to "think green" 
at work and home and providing tips.  Employees were told how to 
print using recycled paper and to recycle magazines. 
 
USG funded projects 
------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Post is funding several environmentally-related projects at 
the moment.  The Ambassador's Self-Help Fund is funding a tree 
planting project around Benoue National Park, which the Ambassador 
inaugurated this week with a tree planting ceremony.  Post is in the 
process of finalizing a large-scale tree planting project around 
Lake Chad in Northern Cameroon.  As part of our Food for Progress 
project, a local non-governmental organization in Northern Cameroon 
is turning sawdust into briquettes that can be burned as cooking 
fuel.  This project will assist in reducing the number of trees cut 
down in that region and also check desertification.  The Defense 
Attach office has used $400,000 to equip and train park rangers in 
two major national parks with motorcycles and radios in order to 
facilitate the fight against illegal logging and poaching. 
 
¶6. (U) Peace Corps Cameroon is signing this week a Memorandum of 
Understanding with the Ministry of Forests and Fauna, in order to 
have volunteers working in ecotourism and other 
environmentally-related projects.  Peace Corps hopes to have a few 
volunteers working in this area beginning this summer. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶7. (U) Embassy Yaounde is trying to increasingly engage on 
environmental issues, but is hindered by the lack of resources for 
projects.  Post's multiple agencies are cooperating on this issue, 
as shown in this cable.  The bulk of our work has been in rural 
communities or within the Embassy community.  Within additional 
resources, post could make an even larger impact on this front. 
 
GARVEY