Climate Variability in the Kilum-Ijim Mountain Range of Cameroon: Implications for Rural Livelihoods and Food Security

Mountains make their weather and climate. They are sensitive to environmental changes, with direct implications for sustainable rural livelihoods and food security. Like other tropical areas, Cameroon’s Kilum-Ijim Mountain Range (KIMR) has been witnessing dramatic climatic twists of decreasing rainfall and rising temperatures. Previous studies in the Bamenda Highlands in general focused more on climate variability and crop production, climate variability and food security, as well as climate adaptation, without assessing alternative rural food security options in the face of climate change. This chapter sets out to (1) establish climate variability within the KIMR, (2) assess food security in the KIMR and (3) assess rural livelihood options for climate change adaptation. Both primary and secondary data sources, basically from local weather stations (rainfall, 1986–2019), field observations, local institutions, that work with communities to improve livelihoods, as well crop production data (1982–2019) from the Northwest Regional Delegation of Agriculture and Rural Development were used. Results showed that rainfall has been decreasing and is more unreliable against a backdrop of recurrent agro-meteorological droughts. The main food crops on which communities rely (maize, Solanum potato, beans) have been decreasing, leading to threats of food insecurity. Faced with this, rural communities have resorted to alternative livelihoods, such as apiculture, livestock rearing and exploitation of natural resources from the Kilum-Ijim Mountain Forest (KIMF). Sustainability will be guaranteed through stakeholder synergies, nature-based solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA).