Abstract:

Throughout history, humanity has often faced challenges aimed at taking control of its destiny and harnessing its environment. For industrialized societies, the technological age we are currently experiencing seems to offer unprecedented control. In Cameroon, it was following the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to 14, 1992, that climate change began to be popularized by the media. In the agricultural and economic sectors, one of the questions raised concerns the perception and impact of climate change in a region like the Noun department in the west of the country, where the population relies primarily on agriculture. This article examines the interpretation of climate change and its impact on agriculture and the local economy in Bamoun territory. This study aims, through a simplified historical overview of climate change science, to present, among other things, the Bamoun region of western Cameroon: its geographical data, its economic landscape, and the local perception of climate change. It will also address a climate overview for the 21st century, the extent of public concern regarding climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystems, and finally, the environmental and economic problems that it can generate. The methodology of this study is based on literature reviews, as well as in-depth interviews conducted in 2024 with farmers in Foumbot and Kouoptamo, two rural communes in the Bamoun region of western Cameroon.