Use of plant resources by refugees from Minawao and their impact on the Sahelian savannah of Cameroon

Abstract

The study took place in the refugee camp of Minawao (Far North, Cameroon) between 2018 and 2020. The aim was to know the impact of the use of plant resources by Nigerian refugees settled in Cameroon since 2013 in order to claim a sustainable management of these resources. To achieve this objective, a structured and semi-structured survey was carried out in the refugee households. During this socio-economic survey, 350 refugees were surveyed. Excel was used to calculate averages and draw histograms. It was found that the majority of the refugees in this site are young (60.45%) and they are more involved in the use of plant resources which has a negative impact on vegetation. Donations (92.33%) are the first sources of income for the refugees and wood (82.33%) is more used for cooking in the households. Acacia albida, Adansonia digitata, Anogeissus leiocarpus, Azadirachta indica, Parkia biglobosa and Tamarindus indica are shown to be important in the pharmacopoeia, in food or as wood energy. Faced with this situation, the humanitarian community present in Cameroon and throughout the world must take full measure regarding the choice of sites for the settlement of refugees and the reforestation of areas already threatened by climate change. It will be important to put in place specific sustainable management systems to accelerate this reforestation of the camp.