Maroua and its neighbouring towns are no exception to the hot weather affecting the northern part of Cameroon. It is against this backdrop that the town’s Catholic clergy are implementing the “Green Diocese” operation. Led by Bishop Bruno Ateba Edo and supported by the Agence nationale d’appui au développement forestier (Anafor), the initiative will see 6,107 trees planted.
“Let’s save the earth, our common home, let’s save our region, our diocese by planting trees. It’s a simple gesture, but one that can save the planet and leave a legacy for future generations. Trees are a source of food and a refuge from the often scorching sun. They help combat global warming and erosion”, Monsignor Ateba explained to Vatican News.
The “Green Diocese” campaign, which is ongoing in the six pastoral zones of Maroua-Mokolo (Mayo Sava, Maroua, Koza, Centre, Mokolo and Tsanaga-Sud), is mobilising the Christian faithful as well as local authorities, with the aim of implementing the 15th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which focuses on preserving the earth’s biodiversity.
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With 12 million hectares of degraded land, Cameroon is at war with the advancing desert. This situation is particularly acute in the Far North region (with Maroua as its capital), given the variations in climate. The government of this Central African country is investing 1 billion CFA francs (1.5 million euros) a year in the Green Sahel initiative, which has already restored 32,000 hectares of land in the departments of Diamaré, Mayo-Kani, Mayo-Sava, Mayo-Danay, Mayo-Tsanaga and Logone et Chari between 2008 and 2019, according to official figures.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi