Climate Change, Perceptions, and Adaptation Responses Among Farmers and Pastoralists in the Cameroon Highlands

Local communities’ perceptions of climatic changes can be used to complement meteorological data-scarce areas and places where climate changes are spatially highly variable, such as mountain environments. Local perceptions can also help identify adaptation strategies which are acceptable within, and work for, local cultures. Focusing on two mountains in the Bamenda Highlands (Mts. Oku and Mbam), the study investigated how livelihood strategy (farming vs. pastoralism) affected the perception of climatic changes, their impacts on livelihoods, and how people had adapted to them. Focus-group discussions (FGDs, n = 20) with village elders were used. No differences were observed between farmers and pastoralists on the climatic changes reported, but important differences were observed in perceived impacts and adaptation strategies used. All respondents reported changes in the amount and distribution of rainfall, fog and temperatures. Meteorological data on rainfall and temperature agreed with local perceptions. Farmers and pastoralists used farming and non-farming activities as adaptive strategies. Fulani pastoralists had started farming, which was not reported in previous studies in Cameroon. However, pastoralists had fewer options, as they are landless and most NGOs have overlooked them. The study highlights the need to consider pastoralists in climate change adaptation in the region, and also the importance of investigating fog when studying mountain ecosystems