Cameroon Courts AfDB, IsDB Funding to Restore 12 Million Hectares of Degraded Land

Cameroon seeks financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to help restore more than 12 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, with agriculture, food security and climate resilience at the center of the proposed investments.

Talks with the two institutions took place from Aug. 23 to 28 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on the sidelines of COP17 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), according to the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cameroon.

The discussions covered financing for land restoration, climate resilience, food security, agricultural value chains and job creation. They also addressed new mechanisms that could support the next United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Cameroon, which will cover 2027 to 2031.

Neither the AfDB nor the IsDB has announced a funding package at this stage. The discussions therefore do not constitute a financing agreement or loan commitment. According to the Resident Coordinator’s Office, the coming months will determine whether the talks result in funded projects.

Issa Sanogo, the United Nations resident coordinator in Cameroon, led the discussions alongside a national delegation headed by the Ministry of Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development. The Cameroonian delegation also organized an event on national restoration programs in an effort to attract other technical and financial partners.

12.06 Million Hectares to Restore by 2030

Cameroon’s search for financing comes with less than four years remaining before its deadline to restore 12,062,768 hectares of degraded land and forest landscapes.

The commitment dates to Feb. 1, 2017, when the ministries responsible for the environment and forests signed a declaration under the Bonn Challenge and the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative, or AFR100.

According to the Environment Ministry, degraded land covers about 12 million hectares, or nearly a quarter of Cameroon’s territory. The three northern regions — Adamawa, North and Far North — account for an estimated 8 million hectares.

The causes extend beyond forest degradation. The ministry cites slash-and-burn agriculture, some forestry and mining operations, overgrazing, bushfires, the silting of valleys and pressure on mangroves. Restoration programs can therefore include reforestation as well as the rehabilitation of farmland, pastures and other degraded ecosystems.

The importance of agricultural land also explains the focus on food systems in discussions with potential funders. In Ulaanbaatar, Sanogo advocated an approach that combines land restoration, food production and climate adaptation rather than separate financing for each area.

Funding Amount Still Undetermined

The ConvergeFood program was presented at COP17 as one vehicle for this approach. Supported by the Global Flagship Initiative on Food Security and aligned with Cameroon’s 2020-2030 National Development Strategy, it brings together government agencies, United Nations organizations, businesses, producer groups and financial partners around food systems.

Yaoundé now aims to convert that framework into projects capable of attracting public, concessional and private capital. Financing needs could cover farms, water access, pastures, reforestation, value chains and mechanisms to strengthen resilience to drought.

Key financial details, however, remain unknown. Neither the total cost of restoring the 12.06 million hectares nor the amount Cameroon wants from the AfDB and IsDB has been disclosed. The potential instruments — loans, grants, guarantees, blended finance or other mechanisms — have not been specified either.

It is therefore not yet possible to determine how much of Cameroon’s national restoration target the two development banks could finance. The effort to secure new resources should also be distinguished from funding already obtained for restoration projects carried out with other partners.

The next stage of discussions with the AfDB and IsDB will need to identify eligible projects, potential funding amounts and timelines. The outcome of the talks in Ulaanbaatar will ultimately depend on whether they result in actual financing.

B.E