Fon Nsoh, COMINSUD Coordinator Talking to Participants.On Friday, September 5, 2025, 30 local leaders from the seven villages that make up Bamenda I, II and III, 25 Civil Society Organizations; focal points for environment and climate change within the 4 Councils of the City of Bamenda and relevant technical services gathered for a workshop convened by the Community Initiative for Sustainable Development (COMINSUD) to chart grassroots-driven transformative responses to climate change.
The event, which took place at Epic Center in Bamenda, themed around resilient grassroots actions to reduce the negative effects of climate change, was part of COMINSUD’s Green Accountability Project, supported by the World Resources Institute (WRI). It sought to build a framework for local councils and communities to jointly tackle environmental challenges through five sustainable, transformative actions.
“We are here for a community-level workshop to see how stakeholders can come out with local transformative actions,” said Fon Nsoh, COMINSUD’s Coordinator. “These include waste management, protection of wetlands, responsible mining, and tree planting. The strategies identified today align with what communities themselves had earlier expressed as priorities.”
Participants stressed the urgent need to address waste disposal, particularly around Mile 6 Mankon’s dumpsite, where poor management has led to pollution, blockages, and health hazards.
Forti Felix, councillor for Ngomgham I, lamented: “In the dry season, the dump releases unbearable odours and smoke; during the rainy season, plastic waste clogs wetlands, making farming nearly impossible.”
Floods caused by wetland reclamation also dominated discussions. Barrister Angu Maurine Nkwenti, Secretary of Ntankah II Quarter Council, shared how floods in her community exacerbated by reclaimed wetlands in Below Foncha, have displaced families and eroded farmland.
“With the knowledge I have gained here, I will push harder for municipal action to redress this long-standing issue,” she said.
Another pressing concern was the rise of illegal and unregulated artisanal mining, which participants said is destroying ecosystems and threatening livelihoods. Communities pledged to advocate for stricter enforcement of state laws and promote responsible mining practices that safeguard local environments.
The workshop also highlighted tree planting as a unifying priority. Fon Nsoh emphasized that community nurseries run by youth could both restore ecosystems and create employment opportunities.
For Jacob Ngock Nwachan, Country Representative of the Participatory Slum Upgrading Program, the key takeaway was clear: “The action starts from the community. Policies alone will not bear fruit unless they are grounded in community-based action and supported by local authorities.”
By the close of the session, stakeholders agreed to sustain pressure on councils, strengthen collaboration with civil society, and ensure that the strategies developed move beyond paper into tangible community-led initiatives.
As Bamenda faces rising floods, waste crises, and deforestation, the workshop underscored one central truth: the fight against climate change will only succeed if the people most affected are at the forefront of the solution.
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