Green deeds Vol.08: Visible signs of climate change in my community (Bamenda-Northwest Region of Cameroon)

Signs of climate change in the Northwest region of Cameroon

Climate change refers to the change in the climatic conditions of an area, region or a country that may extend for decades or centuries. The impact of climate change has been felt by most parts of the world and Cameroon is not an exception. This write up takes to notice the signatures of climate change with focus on the Northwest Region of Cameroon. Climate change has an impact on habitat (such as humans, plants, and animals) and the natural elements of the Earth (such as the atmosphere, the seas and oceans).

Some visible signs of climate change in the Northwest Region
1. Seasonal changes
The Northwest Region is a grassland area known to have basically two seasons in a year (dry and rainy seasons). By September 30th 2020, snowfall was experienced in Santa subdivision in the Northwest Region of Cameroon which is of course a very rare occurrence which can only be as a result of climate change. The photo below shows an indigene of Santa picking snow from the ground. Photo credited to Mimi Mefo Info.

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2. Lack of rainfall
In normal years, the rainy season in the Cameroon is expected to begin before the second half of the year but prior to 2021 the results are not the same. Rain in the Northwest is expected to fall heavily from July until October but the way it’s been going this year, the rains of July weren’t experienced up to 50% and same goes to August but for September a little rainfall is taking place fluctuating with sunny days giving an idea of the end of this rainy season. It seems like the Northwest is slowly experiencing drought and a typical example is viable mud crack in still existing in the rainy season. This can be seen on the photo below taken by me at Mile four Nkwen, a locality in Bamenda (regional capital of the Northwest Region).

3. Reduced water volume in aquifers
In Bambili (a locality in the Northwest Region under Tuba subdivision), water supply comes from aquifers of volcanic rocks and during the dry seasons the aquifers are known to reduce in volume and so water supply is limited in that area. During the 2020-2021 academic year, as a student of the University of Bamenda which is located in Bambili where I stayed, I can say the rate of dryness was experienced differently as the lack of water took more time than normal. Even when the small rains of mid March to May were expected early this year to increase the water levels of the aquifers and increase the flow rate of the tap water, it was still not easy. The rains were not enough and the days of lack of adequate water supply increased and even entered the deep rainy seasons of June and July.

4. Dead of plants and widespread of pathogens
The flora and fauna are very sensitive components when it comes to change in environmental conditions. New studies have shown that climate change would increase the rate of pathogenic infections on plants and this I’ve identified on plants around Bamenda.

According to author Dan Bebber in the published study “Nature Climate Change”source. There is an increase in plant infections on the highland areas and Bamenda being a highland area has signs of this. When I took a small field study around mile four area, I came to realize that most plants have been infected by pathogens, especially parasitic green algae. The frames above include infected leaves of a pear tree and guava tree together with other small plants. Green algae has infected most plant leaves of these area from ageratum conyzoides (locally called king grass) to trees like pear and guava. Some king grass appears to be dying due to high temperatures as you can see on the photos below as the leaves twist wither. Also on several plant leaves, the pathogens are very visible as they eat up these leaves from small plants to the level of trees. The premature dead of plantable can also be witnessed in this area with Ageratum Conyzoides (locally called king grass) dying off which can be resulting from change in temperature conditions and this isn’t visible from the twisting and withering leaves as seen below.

The high thirst for water
As an individual living in the Northwest Region of Cameroon you will realize that you drink more water than you used to drink before. This comes as a result of temperature change which has let to the easy dehydration of your system as you easily sweat upon small exercises you make.

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