{"id":223,"date":"2026-02-20T12:08:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T12:08:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aiwo-can.org\/?post_type=action&#038;p=223"},"modified":"2026-04-27T21:04:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T21:04:23","slug":"revalorizing-indigenous-pastoralists-traditional-knowledge-and-practices-promoting-sustainable-grazing-and-household-energy-resilience-in-the-west-region-of-cameroon","status":"publish","type":"action","link":"https:\/\/aiwo-can.org\/fr\/action\/revalorizing-indigenous-pastoralists-traditional-knowledge-and-practices-promoting-sustainable-grazing-and-household-energy-resilience-in-the-west-region-of-cameroon\/","title":{"rendered":"Revalorizing Indigenous Pastoralists\u2019 Traditional Knowledge and Practices: Promoting Sustainable Grazing and Household Energy Resilience in the West Region of Cameroon"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Donor:<\/b> PAWANKA Fund<br \/>\n<b>Year of Grant Award:<\/b> 2023<br \/>\n<b>Duration:<\/b> 12 months (August 2023 \u2013 August 2024)<br \/>\n<b>Target Communities:<\/b> Mbapit and Koundeng, West Region, Cameroon<\/p>\n<p>This project aimed to strengthen <b>Indigenous-led climate change adaptation<\/b> by revitalizing traditional pastoral knowledge and practices among <b>Mbororo pastoralist communities<\/b> in the West Region of Cameroon. Faced with increasing climate variability, prolonged dry seasons, water scarcity, pasture degradation, and pressure on forest resources, these communities\u2014particularly women\u2014are disproportionately affected by environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n<p>The initiative was <b>community-conceived and community-driven<\/b>, implemented through <b>Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)<\/b>, in line with the <b>UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)<\/b>. Indigenous women, men, youth, and traditional leaders participated actively in the <b>design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation<\/b> of the project, ensuring full ownership and self-determined development.<\/p>\n<p>A <b>participatory baseline study<\/b> documented Indigenous grazing systems, energy practices, and governance structures. While it confirmed the sustainability of traditional knowledge in managing land and natural resources, it also highlighted <b>gender disparities<\/b> in decision-making, reinforcing the need for women-centered interventions.<\/p>\n<p>The project was officially launched on <b>28 November 2023 in <\/b><b>Bafoussam<\/b>, with <b>155 participants<\/b>, including administrative authorities, local councils, Indigenous leaders, and community members\u2014<b>64% of whom were women<\/b>. This marked strong institutional recognition of Indigenous knowledge as a credible solution to climate challenges.<\/p>\n<p>Key results include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Clean water access:<\/b> <b>Two boreholes<\/b> were constructed, providing safe drinking water for households and livestock, significantly reducing women\u2019s workload and improving community health.<\/li>\n<li><b>Energy resilience:<\/b> <b>117 Indigenous women<\/b> were trained to produce <b>122 improved clay stoves<\/b> and <b>95 fireless cooking bags<\/b>, reducing fuelwood use by approximately <b>70%<\/b>, lowering indoor air pollution, and freeing time for social and economic activities.<\/li>\n<li><b>Sustainable grazing:<\/b> <b>Two <\/b><b>Brachiaria<\/b><b> demonstration farms<\/b> were established and fenced with <b>indigenous tree species<\/b>, training over <b>100 men and women<\/b> in pasture regeneration, soil protection, and intergenerational knowledge transmission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Women played a <b>central leadership role<\/b>, forming and leading follow-up and evaluation committees and exceeding participation expectations across all project components. The initiative also fostered <b>local partnerships and peace-building<\/b>, bringing together Indigenous pastoralists, neighboring communities, and Indigenous organizations.<\/p>\n<p>By integrating <b>traditional knowledge, gender equality, environmental protection, and Indigenous rights<\/b>, this project demonstrates that <b>community-led solutions are essential for sustainable climate resilience<\/b>, the protection of Mother Earth, and the long-term well-being of Indigenous peoples.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This project aimed to strengthen Indigenous-led climate change adaptation by revitalizing traditional pastoral knowledge and practices among Mbororo pastoralist communities in the West Region of Cameroon. Faced with increasing climate variability, prolonged dry seasons, water scarcity, pasture degradation, and pressure on forest resources, these communities\u2014particularly women\u2014are disproportionately affected by environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":423,"template":"","class_list":["post-223","action","type-action","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","action-cat-community","action-tag-climat","action-tag-creation","action-tag-durable","action-tag-gouvernance","action-tag-grassfield","action-tag-sante","action-tag-strategie"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiwo-can.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/action\/223","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiwo-can.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/action"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiwo-can.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/action"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aiwo-can.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiwo-can.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}