Case Studies UNDP: ITOH COMMUNITY GRAZIERS COMMON INITIATIVE GROUP, Cameroon

7/27/2019 Case Studies UNDP: ITOH COMMUNITY GRAZIERS COMMON INITIATIVE GROUP, Cameroon

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Equator Initiative Case StudiesLocal sustainable development solutions for people, nature, and resilient communities

Cameroon

ITOH COMMUNITY GRAZIERS COMMONINITIATIVE GROUP

Empowered live

Resilient nation



UNDP EQUATOR INITIATIVE CASE STUDY SERIES

Local and indigenous communities across the world are advancing innovative sustainable development solutions that wo

or people and or nature. Few publications or case studies tell the ull story o how such initiatives evolve, the breadth

their impacts, or how they change over time. Fewer still have undertaken to tell these stories with community practition

themselves guiding the narrative.

To mark its 10-year anniversary, the Equator Initiative aims to ll this gap. The ollowing case study is one in a growing ser

that details the work o Equator Prize winners – vetted and peer-reviewed best practices in community-based environmenconservation and sustainable livelihoods. These cases are intended to inspire the policy dialogue needed to take local succ

to scale, to improve the global knowledge base on local environment and development solutions, and to serve as models

replication. Case studies are best viewed and understood with reerence to ‘The Power o Local Action: Lessons rom 10 Years

the Equator Prize’, a compendium o lessons learned and policy guidance that draws rom the case material.

EditorsEditor-in-Chie: Joseph Corcoran

Managing Editor: Oliver HughesContributing Editors: Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Erin Lewis, Whitney Wilding

Contributing WritersEdayatu Abieodun Lamptey, Erin Atwell, Toni Blackman, Jonathan Clay, Joseph Corcoran, Larissa Currado, Sarah Gordon, Oliver Hughe

Wen-Juan Jiang, Sonal Kanabar, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Rachael Lader, Patrick Lee, Erin Lewis, Jona Liebl, Mengning Ma,

Mary McGraw, Gabriele Orlandi, Juliana Quaresma, Peter Schecter, Martin Sommerschuh, Whitney Wilding, Luna Wu

DesignOliver Hughes, Dearbhla Keegan, Matthew Konsa, Kimberly Koserowski, Erin Lewis

AcknowledgementsThe Equator Initiative acknowledges with gratitude the guidance and inputs o Itoh Community Graziers Common Initiative Group

photo credits courtesy o Itoh Community Graziers Common Initiative Group. Maps courtesy o CIA World Factbook and Wikipedia.

Suggested CitationUnited Nations Development Programme. 2012. Itoh Community Graziers Common Initiative Group, Cameroon. Equator Initiative C

Study Series. New York, NY.

http://equatorinitiative.org/index.php?option=com_winners&view=casestudysearch&Itemid=858



PROJECT SUMMARY Through participatory planning and mapping exercises, theagro-pastoralist Itoh community conserves land aroundthe Kilum mountain orest or grazing and agriculture. This orest ragment had previously been under threatrom encroachment or timber harvesting and clearing oragriculture. It is the largest remnant o montane orest inthe Bamenda Highlands o Cameroon’s Northwest Province. These orests support a high diversity o unique ora andauna, including two endemic bird species, and providea range o ecosystem services or the mountain’s localpopulation.

Activities have ocused on an area reserved or grazing,around which the community’s two ethnic groups havecollectively planted 30,000 trees to demarcate boundaries,protect local water sources, and provide odder or livestock.Some o these multipurpose tree species have had medicinaland ethno-veterinary uses, reviving traditional approachesto treating human and animal ailments.

KEY FACTS

EQUATOR PRIZE WINNER: 2004

FOUNDED: 1992

LOCATION: Itoh, Northwest Region

BENEFICIARIES: 60 members of the Itoh community

BIODIVERSITY: Reforestation of a 140-ha grazing area

3

ITOH COMMUNITY GRAZIERSCOMMON INITIATIVE GROUPCameroon

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background and Context 4

Key Activities and Innovations 5

Biodiversity Impacts 6

Socioeconomic Impacts 6

Policy Impacts 6

Sustainability 7

Partners 7



4

he Kilum mountain orest is the largest remnant o montane orest

n the Bamenda Highlands o Cameroon’s Northwest Region. It

upports a high diversity o ora and auna, including two endemic

ird species, and provides a range o ecosystem services or the local

opulation. The orest orms a critical watershed or the 100,000

eople who arm the mountain’s slopes, acts as a natural deence

gainst soil erosion, and provides a wealth o orest products

ncluding uelwood, building and thatching materials, medicines,

nd honey. The mountain slopes also provide land or arming and

vestock-rearing, activities that or decades have sustained the local

ommunities o the village o Oku. Increasing competition or land

etween tribal groups, however, has heightened pressure on the

mountain orest’s borders. Overexploitation o its resources and

ncreasing deorestation led to increased protection eorts during

he late 1980s and 1990s.

Communal grazing areas

With restrictions on the use o resources available to the communities

ordering the orest reserve, the Kilum Mountain Cooperative Union

was created in 1992 to mobilize the population o Oku to explore

ustainable options or balancing crop arming and the rearing o

oats and cattle. This cooperative comprises six settlements spread

round the orest reserve, each possessing a communal grazing area

hat has been demarcated by government and traditional authorities

o serve as an alternative grazing pasture or livestock.

Confict resolution in Itoh

One o these six communities, Itoh, is made up o 60 memberselonging to two ethnic groups. The Itoh communal grazing

rea covers about 140 hectares o land between the rivers Ntio

nd Mih, which emanate rom the Kilum mountain orest. The

ommunity grazing area is used by both the native community –

redominantly agrarian households living around the communal

razing area in surrounding villages – and the Mbororo, who settled

n the community grazing area over 30 years ago and are mostly

astoralists. This has occasionally led to conrontations between the

wo groups as a result o destruction o crops by cattle belonging to

he Mbororo, or encroachment on grazing land by armers in search

additional land or cultivation.

he Itoh community was the setting or a creative initiative thatought to reduce this conict and alleviate the livelihood constraints

mposed by the ban on land use within the orest reserve. Central to

his was improving the efciency o the use o the limited resources

vailable in the grazing area and in the surrounding villages through

he integration o crops and livestock, maximising the productivity

both livelihood activities.

Rotational grazing and ‘living ences’

With assistance rom national and international partners, the g

established a ‘living ence’ around its communal grazing

improved the diet o livestock by planting high-nutrition gra

and adopted a rotational grazing system to allow the recovery o

pasture area. Initiative members also planted some 30,000 tre

and around the site. These trees have served various purposes o

Itoh community: they have medicinal properties, have served as

or bee hives, and provide vegetative cover or a water catchm

area. A central eature o the initiative was the establishment

permanent water source or livestock. The decision to inst

separate water source or access by the village, providing the

clean water supply to the school, health centre and market, pro

to be a crucial side-benet that convinced community membesupport the initiative.

In general, strategies or improved resource management

raised livestock-related income by increasing the amoun

available livestock orage, improved protection o adjacent

and watershed areas, and greatly reduced conicts betw

pastoralists and armers.

Background and Context

Prunus aricana, an Aromontane tree species used by Fulani herders or it

medicinal properties, among other uses. Photo: Charles Rakotovao



55

Key Activities and Innovationshe project involved a variety o national and international experts

who advised community members on improved practices, ocussing

on maximising eective land-use in and around the common grazing

rea. Researchers rom the Institute o Agricultural Research or

Development (IRAD), a Cameroon state research organization under

he authority o the Ministry o Scientic Research and Innovation,

dvised on modern livestock production, tree nursery techniques,

ence construction, pasture improvement, and the management

nd use o medicinal plants in the treatment o livestock diseases.

he ‘living ence’ was planted to prevent livestock rom straying onto

eighbouring arms and to guard against agricultural encroachment

on grazing pasture. The grazing land was subsequently divided into

paddocks or cattle, goats and sheep, to enable animal grazing in

otation. Improved orage species were also introduced along with

vestock production inrastructure (including a cattle dip) while

water supply systems were constructed or use by human and

vestock populations.

Making the most o medicinal plants

Among the multi-purpose tree species planted were the Aromontane

ardwood pygeum (Prunus aricana). This multi-aceted species is

raditionally used in north-west Cameroon as uel wood, charcoal, or

poles, hoe and axe handles, in honey production, protecting water

atchments, or marking boundaries, and especially or its medicinal

properties or both humans and animals. It can be powdered into a

ea or genito-urinary issues, allergies, inammation, kidney disease,

malaria, stomach ache, ever, chest pain, and heart burn. It also has

alue on international medicinal markets, and its harvest is careully

egulated within Cameroon. Its bark can be locally harvested andold in small quantities, however, providing arming households with

n additional source o potential revenue. Other tree species planted

ncluded calliandra, erythrina, gmelina, acacia, and leucaena.

Capacity building in veterinary medicine & disease con

International partners to the project provided urther training

capacity building. Sta rom the United Nations Developm

Programme/Arica 2000 Network in Cameroon supervised pr

activities and gave trainings in group and arm management.

institution was also responsible or identiying and coordina

external expertise that contributed to the project, included tra

in ethnoveterinary medicinal practices. These practices have pr

immensely successul in the Northwest Province o Cameroon, w

Fulani herders manage more than 400,000 head o cattle. In re

decades, the evolution o the Fulani rom nomadic to semi-nom

and transhumant livestock owners has created signicant challe

or controlling outbreaks o livestock diseases. The introductio

orthodox veterinary medicine during the 1940s ailed to reach s

remote areas, while causing knowledge o ethnoveterinary prac

to be lost. Since the late 1980s, Heier International/CameEthnovet Project has helped to reintroduce many o these prac

including the use o medicinal plants to treat livestock.

These activities yielded remarkable results. Among the

signicant impacts was a reduction in the destruction o

by cattle and the encroachment o crop armers onto gra

land by almost 100 per cent. Other short-term gains include

improvement in cattle eeding through the use o improved o

species (such as Brachiariagrasses,Stylosanthes, andTripsacum la

or Guatemala grass) and pastures; a reduction in land degrada

and overgrazing through rotational grazing methods; the prov

o potable water to the livestock and human populations in

around the grazing area, reducing the transmission o water-bdiseases rom livestock to humans; the protection o the water

within a 150-metre radius o the orest; the reduction o tick-b

diseases among livestock populations; and an improvement in

social relations between the two ethnic groups, who have

brought together in common cause.

Mbingo Ridge, Bamenda Highlands. Photo: www.aricanadvance.org



6

ImpactsBIODIVERSITY IMPACTS

The 140-ha Itoh grazing area was previously devoid o trees. Planting

over 30,000 multi-purpose trees changed the biophysical appear-

nce o the land, creating a wooded ecosystem. The trees provide

hade to livestock, and serve as medicinal plants and odder. The tree

belt planted within a 150-metre radius o the water catchment area

has substantially improved protection o the watershed. Community

members have also witnessed an increase in the number o bee hives

n the area, thanks to the planting o trees like calliandra, leucaena

nd acacia. Strategies introduced or improved land management

have also been replicated in neighbouring communities, and by Itoh

group members in their own households.

mprovements in the pasture options or local herders have in turn

educed pressures on the Kilum orest reserve, allowing regenera-

ion o wooded land. The conservation o Cameroon’s montane or-est is o global importance as it constitutes one o over 40 endemic

bird areas in Arica identied in 2002 by Birdlie International, and

epresents the last hope or survival o several species unique to the

ecosystem. These include the endemic Bannerman’s Turaco (Tauraco

Bannermanni ) and Banded Wattle-Eye (Platysteira Laticincta).

SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS

The initiative has generated a variety o sources o income or its

beneciary community, diversiying the livelihoods o households

hat were previously over-reliant on agriculture or pastoralism or

ubsistence. For instance, the sale o orage seeds rom calliandrarees planted by the initiative provides the community with an

verage annual income o USD 500. Some o the trees used or ence

onstruction and paddock subdivision are medicinal, providing a

eserve source o income or community members. The trees also

erve as orage or livestock in the dry season when most o the

vegetation is dry and eed resources are scarce, while owering

ree stands planted in the grazing area have allowed armers to

upplement pastoralism incomes with the sale o honey, making

his a more viable livelihood activity by bringing bee hives closer to

arming households.

The group has been able to increase their stock o cattle and goat

with the savings rom the judicious management o project resourc-es provided by donors. The beneciary group harvests an average o

20 litres o milk rom their cattle herds, which is shared among them

or household consumption. Annually, an average o three cattle

nd ve goats are culled and sold, with the income shared equally

mong the community members to pay or children’s education.

The supply o clean drinking water has reduced water-borne diseases,

while medicinal plants harvested rom tree bark treat both livestock

nd human diseases. The improved availability o water has also had

he benet o demonstrating the value o ecosystem conservation to

local residents, enabling savings in medical expenses and heal

households.

Empowerment o women

The project’s gender dimension is reected by the membership o

group. One third o group members are emale – these women

part in all project activities. Improved water availability and red

distances or orage collection have particularly benetted

women. In a pioneering initiative promoted by the project, wo

are also beginning to be empowered to inherit livestock, de

local customs that traditionally dictated that livestock pass to

amily members. In addition, women members have benetted

training in all aspects o the project, including modern cattle-rea

techniques, tree nurseries and tree planting, ox arming, pa

improvement, and capacity-building project management skill

POLICY IMPACTS

In its range o benets or local people, the Itoh initiative has se

as a model or conict resolution and sustainable land managem

or pastoralism within the Northwest Province o Cameroon. Thi

long been a challenge or government authorities and NGOs w

ing or sustainable development in the region, who have oten

helpless to prevent the rapid deterioration o pasture areas du

overgrazing by growing cattle populations and overexploitatio

expanding human settlements.

The Itoh community has demonstrated that through the puo a common vision, conicts can be overcome by shared wor

mutual benets. In the case o this initiative, water turned out t

the key resource that brought peaceul co-existence between s

groups within the community.

The eort to protect the water source located within the grazin

serve against encroaching armland has changed the perceptio

the armers themselves who, at the outset o the project, perce

the livestock grazing land and the project as a threat to their

survival. The supply o PVC pipes to the community by the may

the Oku Rural Council to extend the water supply rom the pro

area to surrounding social structures – including primary sch

a health centre, and the village market – has helped the comnity to understand the importance o resource management

conservation.

In return, the project has received the support o traditional vi

authorities, who have promised to impose sanctions on those m

bers o the community who do not respect the protective meas

put in place in the grazing area, and specically in the water ca

ment area. Meanwhile the village population has continued plan

trees to protect the water source and reinorce encing around

grazing land, indicating a high level o local support or the initia



7

Sustainability and ReplicationSUSTAINABILITY

Capacity building and personal empowerment

argeted capacity building o the beneciary population by the

roject’s national and international advisors has allowed the

eneciaries to master the various techniques necessary to sustain

he initiative. Evidence o this can be seen in the implementation o

cquired techniques and strategies in the households o individual

roup members. Training in ‘group dynamics’ has ocussed on

ood governance, participatory approaches to local development,

nd the transparent management o resources. The resulting high

evel o accountability and transparency has helped to strengthen

eneciaries’ individual commitment to the initiative. Group

members hold regular meeting to assess their activities and

laborate new work plans and strategies.

Social participation and the strengthening o social bonds

he initiative has led to the development o new social bonds within

he community, uniting two previously antagonistic social groups in

ommon interest. This prioritising o building the social abric has

lso illustrated the crucial importance o achieving high levels o

ocal ownership o community development initiatives.

Environmental and economic sustainability

Through the ongoing aorestation process, the initiative contrib

to the ecological sustainability o the Kilum Mountain orest res

and reduces degradation o the environment, while provi

substantial and sustainable sources o income or its benecia

The demonstration o the linkages between these benets has

undamental to the sustainability o both.

PARTNERS

The initiative has been able to successully mobilize a div

range o technical, nancial, and material contributions

its participating institutions, demonstrating the importanc

diversiying partnerships or delivering in dierent areas o expe

and comparative advantage.

• The European Union: The EU provided USD 45,000 or the

project activities o the Itoh initiative. These unds were use

purchase materials and equipment such as barbed wire or

construction and arming tools, as well as paying or specia

labor or capacity building trainings.

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Arica

Network - Cameroon: This national network o developm

proessionals supervised project activities and prov

technical assistance through capacity building o the bene

population in project management and group dynamics.

institution was also responsible or recruiting necessary extexpertise to strengthen the capacity o the beneciarie

various technical aspects o the project, coordinating a port

o nancial and technical assistance.

• Institute o Agricultural Research or Development (IR

This Cameroon-based institute supplied technical assist

in modern livestock production techniques, tree nu

techniques, ence construction, pasture improvement and

management and use o medicinal plants in the treatme

livestock diseases. Thanks to the training provided by t

experts, group members are currently able to implement t

practices without external assistance.

• The Ministry o Livestock: Sta rom the zoological, tech

and veterinary centre have assisted the group in contro

livestock diseases and have provided training in basic veter

care.

annerman’s Turaco (Tauraco Bannermanni), endemic to the Bamenda High-

ands. Photo: Roger Fotso/BirdLie



Click the thumbnails below to read more case studies like this:

Equator Initiative

Environment and Energy GroupUnited Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

304 East 45th Street, 6th Floor

New York, NY 10017

Tel: +1 646 781-4023

www.equatorinitiative.org

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating or change

onnecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better lie.

The Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizati

o recognize and advance local sustainable development solutions or people, nature and resilient communities.

©2012 by Equator Initiative

All rights reserved

FURTHER REFERENCE

BirdLie International (2008) Community conservation action is showing success on Mount Oku, Cameroon. Presented as part o

BirdLie State o the World’s Birds website. [Online at: http://www.birdlie.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/253Accessed 22-05-2012

http://http//www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/253

http://http//www.birdlife.org/datazone/sowb/casestudy/253

http://www.equatorinitiative.org/images/stories/com_winners/casestudy/case_1348151357.pdf



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Case Studies UNDP: ITOH COMMUNITY GRAZIERS COMMON INITIATIVE GROUP, Cameroon

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