The Mangrove Forests of the Cameroon Coast and its Socio-Economic Significan

The study analyses anthropogenic influence on the mangrove forests of the Cameroon coast and focuses on the development and improvement of the constructive- geographical foundations of rational nature management for the conservation and possible renewal of its natural resources base. The exploitation of mangrove forest landscapes has yielded significant benefits to the local population living within the mangrove forest limits, but the beneficiaries have not made commensurate investments in their sustainability and rational use. Therefore, this habitat must be carefully conserved or protected from wanton anthropogenic activities for the development purpose. The study made use primary and secondary data in establishing the facts analysed in this work. The secondary data comprised of materials of prominent authors who have contributed much to the findings related to coastal mangroves. Primary data collection was field visits carried out by the author in 2016. Questionnaires and semi- structural questions were used to collect information from mangrove exploiters. The findings confirm that the coastal mangrove forests in Cameroon have multiple functions beneficial to the communities adjacent to the coast, but, unfortunately, the beneficiaries have not made commensurate efforts to their sustainability and rationale. The Mangrove forests covered a surface area of 200 000 km2, but Cameroon lost 30 % of its mangrove forest cover in 1980–2006. If projected under ceteris paribus, Cameroon lost approximately 45 % of its mangrove forest cover in1980–2020. Haven understood that man has raped huge surfaces of mangrove forest for his selfish economic gains, the study proposed an urgent need for environmentally sustainable adaptive strategies like those earmarked in the Ramsay agreement and the ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) for the rational management of coastal mangroves in Cameroon.