BOTANICAL GARDEN PROJECT BAMENDA CITY- NORTH WEST REGION, CAMEROON November 2014 Presentation of Bamenda The city of Bamenda, is the capital of the North West Region and ranked the third City in Cameroon after Douala and Yaoundé. This Anglophone Region is found in the western highlands of Cameroon with a population of over two million inhabitants. Bamenda lies between latitude 5 0 94 N 10 0 15 E and 5 0 98N 10 0 18E. It sits along the Cameroon Volcanic Line with two distinct relief features: a High Lava Plateau of about 1,400m, and the Lower Plateau, with an average altitude of 1,100m above sea level both separated by a vast escarpment. The surface area of Bamenda is estimated of 30km² that host over 500,000 inhabitants. Its vegetation is Guinea Savannah, it climate tropical with two main seasons: a long rainy season lasting eight months (March October) and a dry season four months. Temperature variation are between of 15-31 0c. Background Environmental degradation and climate change are very important issues addressed in the global context today. The Earth Summit of 1992 in moving the global environmental agenda forward called for Global thinking and local action. Bamenda, a city with over half a million people with a fast growing population cannot be indifferent about nature and environmental protection. Environmental management and city Greening is a priority for the city, reason for which a service exist to address issues within this sector. The
City Council possess close to 500 ha of land to serve as a town green which unfortunately have not been properly exploited in the past. There is now more enthusiasm to properly put into use these parcels of land and promote a culture of city greening, thus the need to create a Botanic Garden on the escarpment where the City Council own about 450ha of land. Setting up this project is very important as it will among others limit private encroachment and occupation of this public facility, reduce or prevent yearly resources spent by the City Council for wild fires control, and create a vast well managed zone for leisure, nature conservation and learning. Area photo with escapement face shown as dark strip. Project Goal Create an ecological garden for recreational and educational activities for the city of Bamenda. Objective Protect degradation of the fragile ecological zone of the Bamende escarpment. Develop a recreational park for leisure for the inhabitants and tourist Create a learning centre for promoting environmental education for schools Establish and run a nursery facility that provide plants to schools, for the garden, homes, public sites and other needs that will contribute in greening the city.
Project Approach The project will be establish as participatory prototype that bring together various category of stakeholders; decentralised international cooperation, government, local council, civil society, schools, individuals and business. Specific task and issues to be undertaken by various partners will be established and each partner contacted for discussions and agreements on the how to move forward. Project Activities for 2014-2015 ACTIVITY Expected Results Time frame Set up a working group to pilot the garden project Identify and establish preliminary contacts with various categories of stakeholders Organise a stakeholder meeting to plan activities and visit the site allocated for the garden project Design layout plan for the garden and plan for service centre. Securing and planning the site. Award contact and follow up the construction of the service centre A Municipal Order is established and puts in place a working 25 th Nov. group of 5 persons (2 from the City Council, 1 from the Government and 2 from Civil society) -A long list of stakeholders classified in six categories (international cooperation, government, local council, civil society, schools, individuals and businesses) is established -Contacts are made with the stakeholders to keep them informed of the garden project and invite them to participate. -A visit is made to the site to enable various stakeholders to build a visual effect on the site, the future garden to be created and how they can participate. - Ideas are collected from stakeholders that contribute to build a common vision for the garden and what role they can play. - A scheduled (plan) is established for the major task to be done to transform the area. - Plan is in place showing compartments of the garden and how the land will be used (Service Centre, tracks, green areas etc). - Conception plan for a simple, functional and eco-friendly service centre is designed and approved. - The area is traced and the external boundaries properly demarcated - lots, walkways, trails and other sites are pegged out Service Centre is constructed according to plan 30 th Nov.2014 10 th Dec.2014 20 th Jan 2015 28 th Feb 2015 15 th March 2015 Carry out landscaping, seek At least 2ha are designed, over 1,000 tree sort for and planted, Jan- August
and plant trees with active participation of various stakeholders 2015 Create site for setting up Supply of garden seedlings and manure nursery and mobilise necessary equipment Hold regular planning review, At least 15 meetings are held and follow up visits made to the Ongoing evaluation and follow up meetings to ensure process is on the right course garden. Organised public information and sensitisation on the garden via various medium. 5 local radio stations are engaged to promote public dialogue on the garden project and other environmental issues. Jan March 2015 Project Estimates (francs CFA) S/N Activity Item Unit / Qty Unit price Amount 1 Set up a working group to pilot the ////// /////// /////// ////////// garden project 2 Identify and establish preliminary contacts with various categories of Transport Project 20 trips 20 copies 2.000 500 40.000 10.000 stakeholders information 3 Organise a stakeholder meeting to plan activities and visit the site -coffee/lunch Transport 40 persons 40 persons 3.2500 2.500 150.000 100.000 allocated for the garden project 4 Design layout plan for the garden and plan for service centre. Appreciation to for Service Volunteers -Painting of plans 7 persons 50.000 350.000 100.000 5 Securing and planning the site. -Transport - Food - Pegs and 150.000 pegging 6 Award contact and follow up the construction of the service centre Contract Award One lot 5.000.000 4.500.000 7 Equip service centre (hairs, table etc) Assorted items 2.500.000
8 Carry out landscaping, seek and plant trees -Transport - Food 9 Hold regular planning review, -Transport, Food, 500.000 evaluation and follow up meetings to ensure process is on the right course Stationary, Communication 10 Organised public information and sensitisation on the garden via various medium. -Support for radio communication -Production of project flyers - posters 5 stations 2000 copies 100 40.000 50 500 200.000 100.000 50.000 Total 9.500.000 Estimates closed at Nine Million, Five hundred thousand francs CFA Cost Sharing Partner Items Amount % Gorinchem 2,3,4,5, 8,9,19 2.500.000 26.3 Bamenda City Council 6,7 7.000.000 73.4 Total 9.5.00.000 100 * Most local service will be done as public serviced by Government structures and City Council and on a voluntary base by civil society and schools. This aspects have not been given a monetary value but has been broadly considered in the implementation strategy, thus the low monitory cost of the project. Guarantee for Sustainability The main frame will be the Bamenda City Council, under the auspices of the service for City Greens and Environmental policies. COMINSUD a Civil Society Organisation Coordinating the Ecokids Project will support strategies development that will promote the participations of schools and NGOs for local ownership. The development of a nursery will serve contact service point with the wider community for the provision of trees for urban greening. The Garden will serve as a learning and recreational point for schools, persons of good will and the wide public to use connect and support.
Members of Working Group S/N Members Structure Role 1 Nguekwi Jannette, Project Lead 2 Jacob Ngock Nwachan, Bamenda City Council 3 FON NSOH COMINSUD Mobilisation, and strategy development for broad based participation 4 To be determined Delegation of Forestry Technical and State institutional support 5 To be determined CSO to active in landscaping and tree nursery Technical expertise in landscaping Category of Stakeholders Category of Stakeholders International cooperation, Government Institutions Local council, Civil society Schools Businesses Individuals Actors within each stakeholder group Gorinchem and Dordrecht Councils Delegation Forestry, environment, National Forestry Development Program (ANAFOR ) Bamenda City Council, Bamenda I, II and III Councils COMINSUD MIFACIG, SHUMAS, FARMER TANTOH,LIONS and ROTARY CLUBS Primary Schools GBP Schools Old Town, St Agnes, Catholic School Big Mankon, CBC Nkwen etc Secondary Schools GBHS Down Town, Progressive Comprehensive Collage, Lourdes Collage, St. Frederick Collage, Baptist Technical Collage etc To be identified To be identified