Bernard OkaliA Bilai, Southwest Governor
The framework in terms of land occupation and land use for the national territory is out for distinguished geographic zones from each other as stated in the zoning objective.
This will go a long way to provide stakeholders a common platform to guide decisions and projects development in the South West Region.
Within the context of population growth and an increasingly higher pressure on land previously available, the necessity of modernization of certain economic activities through reviewing/re-bounding extensive land uses in order to perform integrated and sustainable development among others stands indispensable.
The land allocation plan highlights the national land-use by proposing the boundaries of the various national forest estates and specifies the various sub-categories corresponding for instance to state forests, council forest, farmland, agro-forestry camp, mining, agro-industrial use to cite a few.
The mission of the commission is to support to the drawing up of the situation of the National Land Occupation, support to the drawing up of the indicative land allocation plan, support to the coaching of the consultation and decision-making process and also the institutional strengthening and transfer of skills.
Notably, law no.2011/008 of 6 may 2011 to lay down guidelines for territorial planning and sustainable development in Cameroon enshrines the National Territorial Planning and Sustainable Development Plan as the reference to conduct territorial planning and sustainable development at the state level.
Its development must meet several requirements circa the territorial planning translation of political choices made by the country through vision 2035, the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper 2010-2020 and strategic documents, consistency in the territorialisation of sectoral public policies and the readability of the strengths, weaknesses, risks and opportunities analysis as well as issues that frame the territorial dynamics.
The Regional launching last week in Buea, created a forum for exchanges and brainstorming on the future of the region by the responsible development stakeholders expected to shape the staffing of territories in means of information communication, research and training, the strengthening of the economies of local authorities, preservation and valorization of potentials and available spaces, promoting development that respects the environment, increased investment in the inland territories, strengthening the urban structure and its relationship with rural areas and the development of border areas respectively.
It was revealed at the workshop the territorial diagnosis aim at identifying resources, strength, weaknesses, population needs and expectations, economic and environmental issues.
The Secretary-General to SW governor’s office Mr. Clement Fon Ndikum has urged the different stakeholders to exhibit expertise and establish a state of knowledge of the South West Regional territory.
He remarked that the South West Region has a lot of potentials and Large land surface area that can contribute to the much needed Regional development and hopes that resolutions from the deliberations will contribute significantly to the drawing up process.
To him, the drawing up of the plan will enable the materialization of the development plan of vision 2035 that seeks to make Cameroon an emerging country united in its diversity.
According to the Territorial prospective planning, there is an urgent need for a stronger integration in the sub-region and in the globalised economic space implies the consolidation of performance and competitiveness of the national economy and territories in other to prepare for the future well ahead of time.
The workshop brought together mayors, civil society leaders, NGOs, Regional and Divisional Delegates of Economic Planning and Regional development as well as other stakeholders involved.
