‘They paved paradise’: fighting back over the loss of green spaces in Cameroon’s capital
Volunteers in Yaoundé, Cameroon, are working to restore green spaces as the city's wooded areas have plummeted from 28.6% to 5.4% due to rapid urban expansion. Residents express concern over the loss of public parks and the environmental impact of concrete sprawl.
Why it matters
Rapid, unregulated urbanization in developing nations often comes at the cost of environmental sustainability and public well-being, highlighting the tension between development and conservation.
Jean-Baptiste Tchengang, a self-taught gardener, in his plot in Nkolbisson, on the outskirts of Yaoundé. The city’s green space has fallen from 28.6% to just 5.4%. Photograph: Christian Essimi Jean-Baptiste Tchengang, a self-taught gardener, in his plot in Nkolbisson, on the outskirts of Yaoundé. The city’s green space has fallen from 28.6% to just 5.4%. Photograph: Christian Essimi Global development ‘They paved paradise’: fighting back over the loss of green spaces in Cameroon’s capital Concrete sprawl in Yaoundé has devastated the city’s trees and parks, so volunteers are stepping up, shrub by shrub
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