FAO Launches Green Cities Initiative in Cameroon 

The launching of the Green Cities Initiative took place on Sunday, April 21, 2024 at the Yaounde City Council Hall. The ceremony chaired by the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development (MINDDEVEL), George Elanga Obama, was in the presence of the Director General of FAO, Qu Dongyu. 

“I thank all the different councils for accepting this initiative,” Qu Dongyu said at the ceremony. 

The launching was an opportunity for the FAO, through the DG, to present the Green Cities Initiative, its main pillars and its strategic axes as potential solutions for the sustainable development of cities.

“You have the opportunity to transform and redesign your cities with a blend of urban and rural settings, which will make them more natural and environmentally friendly,” the DG said. 

On his part, the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development, urged the different councils to create more green spaces and promote a proper waste management system within their council areas among other green facilities and offers. 

He promised the government’s total support to the initiative which he says will “change the physiognomy of cities in Cameroon”. 

In 2020, FAO launched the Green Cities Initiative to help small and medium-sized cities and metropolises increase their resilience and the well-being of urban and peri-urban populations. 

Since March 2023, a pilot Green Cities Initiative has been running in Cameroon, in the Yaoundé 4 council. Its implementation, focused on the micro-project of pre-collection, composting and promotion of urban agriculture, has aroused interest among other councils in the Centre and Littoral regions. 

Besides the Yaounde 4 council, the initiative caught the attention of six others decentralized territories 

• The Yaounde 5 council 
• The Yaounde 6 council
• The Yaounde 7 council
• The Mfou council 
• The Yaounde city council
• The Douala city council.

During the launch of the initiative, representatives of these councils presented letters of intent to join the FAO’s Green Cities Initiative. 

“Let’s walk the talk,” Qu Dongyu told the partner councils. 

The Green Cities Initiative will go a long way to create jobs in the local community, he added. 

The launching was within the framework of the visit to Cameroon of the Director General of FAO, Qu Dongyu. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
It’s goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members – 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.