© GFA | Entrance to the Mount Cameroun National Park

GFA LEADERSHIP VISITS PSMNR SWR AS THE PROGRAMME CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF CONSERVATION SUCCESS

The new GFA Managing Director, Christian Dürr, and Constanze Schaaff, Head of the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment (ANRE) Department, visited the Programme for the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the South-West Region of Cameroon (PSMNR SWR) during its 20th anniversary year.

Their visit marked a special milestone. In 2026, PSMNR SWR celebrates two decades of supporting biodiversity conservation, protected area management and sustainable livelihoods in Cameroon. It also highlighted the programme's long-standing partnership with the Government of Cameroon and its lasting contribution to the sustainable management of the country's rich natural heritage.

For the past 20 years, PSMNR SWR has supported the Government of Cameroon in protecting the country's unique biodiversity while improving the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. Co-financed by the Federal Republic of Germany through KfW Development Bank, the programme is implemented under the responsibility of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF).

During their visit, the delegation, accompanied by the GFA/DFS project team and regional representatives of MINFOF, met local authorities, community members and implementation partners, including WWF and local organisations. Field visits to programme sites demonstrated how biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development can successfully go hand in hand through a collaborative management approach.

PSMNR SWR operates in and around five protected areas: Mount Cameroon National Park, Korup National Park, Takamanda National Park, Bakossi National Park and Banyang-Mbo Wildlife Sanctuary. Working closely with neighbouring communities, the programme combines biodiversity conservation with the sustainable use of natural resources and integrated livelihood support. This landscape-based approach strengthens the management of protected areas and their surrounding ecosystems while creating tangible benefits for local communities.

As PSMNR SWR enters its third decade, the programme remains committed to conserving Cameroon's unique natural heritage while supporting sustainable livelihoods. Building on the achievements of the past 20 years, it is now placing particular emphasis on developing sustainable financing and governance mechanisms to ensure that its long-term results and investments continue well beyond the programme's lifetime.

> More information about the project.

On the photos: (1) Honey Production supported by the PSMNR project, (2) Meeting with village representatives and partners (in the center the village Chief), (3) PSMNR (GFA) project team and regional MINFOF staff, (4) Visit of a nursery and producer cooperative supported by the PSMNR programme, (5+6) Mount Cameroon landscape