General Introduction

Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) is a non-profit Cameroonian conservation organization established in 1999. ERuDeF is one of the most dedicated and impactful conservation organizations in Cameroon and also in the Central Africa sub regions. It is the leading national conservation organization in Cameroon.

Over the last decade the organization succeeded to create the first conservation complex (Lebialem Highland Conservation Complex), the first of its kind for a national NGO. It has been able to mobilize both national and international support that led to the creation of the Tofala Hill Wildlife sanctuary (which harbors the critically endangered Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli)) in 2014 by the government of Cameroon. ERuDeF focuses more on the conservation and protection of critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable wildlife species such as the Cross River gorillas (Gorilla gorilla diehli), Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti), central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), amphibians such as the goliath frog and other species. ERuDeF has been working in Lebialem Highland conservation complex and other protected areas in Cameroon for the past eighteen years using some of the most innovative solutions to conserve threatened and endangered wildlife species such as collaborative management approaches to support the creation and management of protected areas. Again ERuDeF has had a unique contribution to the conservation of species through extraordinary entrepreneurship and/or innovation. This is seen in the area that involve the introduction of the community conservation social enterprise (CoCoSED) model which is a model used to empowered local communities through income generating activities, savings and loans. Other innovations which the organization uses to foster conservation actions include the  ERuDeF Institute which trains young conservationist in Cameroon,  and the creation of corridors in most protected area in Cameroon, to help allow genetic connective among species and for easy migrations. ERuDeF is collaborating with both national and international organizations. ERuDeF collaborate with the local communities around the protected areas by integrating and involving them in all aspects of conservation activities, with the government of  Cameroon through its concerned ministries such as the Forestry and Wildlife(MINFOF), Environment and Protection of Nature(MINEPDED), Agriculture and Rural Development and Tourism and Leisure. Internationally, ERuDeF is collaborating with so many conservation organizations such as WWF, WCS, ACF, BRLi, and GIZ. Furthermore, ERuDeF is one of the key partners involved in the support and collaborative management of the Mount Cameroon National Park in the Southwest region of Cameroon. ERuDeF in collaboration with the German funded program for the sustainable management of natural resources in the Southwest region is working to implement a region wide conservation corridor program. Besides the Southwest region, ERuDeF is also leading other nationwide initiative in terms of conservation corridors creation and management in the Northwest and East Regions of Cameroon. ERuDeF has been working in the Deng Deng National Park, East Region of Cameroon since 2013, where she was involved in the elaboration and validation of the management plan. It has also conducted both ecological and gorilla inventory in the Deng Deng National Park. ERuDeF has been involved in the creation and implementation of several community forest projects over the last decade. ERuDeF has led the restoration efforts of the critically endangered Microbelinia bisulcata (African zebra wood) and other threatened tree species of the Mount Cameroon area for the past 5 years. ERuDeF is operating in 6 regions of Cameroon, where she is involved in the management of the buffer zones biodiversity and as well as the agrobiodiversity in farmlands adjacent to key biodiversity hotspots in the designated project regions.

ERuDeF strategic plan is a five year initiative to conserve threatened species of biodiversity nationwide from 2019 to 2023.  The strategic plan is drawn from key technical department such as the Department of Conservation, Forestry and Agriculture.

ERuDeF works in accordance with the national and international Law and regulations on biodiversity conservation. This is because Cameroon is signatory to many international and Sub-regional conventions on biodiversity conservation and nature protection that binds to global environmental concerns.

Vision

ERuDeF seeks to conserve, develop and restore important ecosystems in Cameroon with emphasis on the Cross River Gorilla range, the mountain and mangrove ecosystems through multi disciplinary partnerships by involving the public and private sectors.

Mission

At ERuDeF, we conserve biodiversity and protect environments through research, training, education and community engagement.

Objectives

·         To develop priorities and strategies for addressing relevant rural and environmental issues;

·         To provide local communities with the means to efficiently manage their natural resources and to alleviate poverty;

·         To develop successful and/or potentially successful strategies for mobilizing communities and people to conserve their natural resources;

·         To promote women’s role in conservation and development through training and support of women programs;

·         To fight against deforestation, land degradation and desertification;

·         To promote alternative sustainable development strategies in rural areas including development of alternative models of rural financing;

·         To promote advocacy, education, training and information programmes that increase people’s awareness of environmental problems as well as human issues affecting.