Climate Change Impact in the Southwest Region od Cameroon
One major climate change risk impacting my community in the Southwest region of Cameroon is irregular heavy rainfall patterns. This leads to floods and landslides. This has a huge impact on farmers, causing losses in production, damage, and limiting access to markets. These floods also cause damage to infrastructure such as schools, health centres, houses, markets and access to roads. Thus, affecting the livelihood of the people in my community, causing them to relocate or temporary lockdown of facilities. Healthwise, there is an increase of standing water which serves as habitat for mosquitoes and damaged water systems increase exposure to waterborne diseases
In response to this climate change challenge, the people in my community are taking measures to expand drainage channels, such as digging and cleaning blocked gutters.
Changing farming calendars to cope with the shift and length of rainy seasons.
mixing food and cash crops to spread climate risk.
Using local knowledge, such as local indicators of rainfall or soil moisture, to decide when to plant crops.