Chapter 4

The Use of GI Science in Detecting Anthropogenic Interaction in Protected Areas: A Case of the Takamanda National Park, South West Region, Cameroon

B. M. Takem-Mbi

B. M. Takem-Mbi

National Institute of Cartography, Yaounde, Cameroon

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J. M. Mbuh

J. M. Mbuh

University of North Dakota, North Dakota, USA

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A. S. Lepatio-Tchieg

A. S. Lepatio-Tchieg

National Institute of Cartography, Yaounde, Cameroon

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First published: 18 June 2021

Summary

The Takamanda National Park (TNP), which constitutes the case study for this research, falls within protected areas (P.A.) in Cameroon. For an efficient management system to be put in place in the TNP, the location, the extent, and the distribution of anthropogenic activities pattern must be detected. For this reason, this work intended to: i) identify those anthropogenic activities that are carried out in the TNP contrary to the regulations in place and; ii) use geospatial tools to map out these anthropogenic interaction activities. Results demonstrate that agriculture, hunting/poaching, harvesting non-timber forest products-NTFPs, and livestock rearing, amongst others, were the anthropogenic activities employed to interact with the P.A. Specifically, between 2012 and 2017, approximately 2,157 anthropogenic activities could be identified and located in the TNP. Detected hunting-related movements stood at 1,543, 71, 5% of the total number of events, farming, logging, and harvesting of NTFPs represented 8, 5%, 7%, and 6, 5%, respectively. In the same vein, the year 2013 witnessed the most significant anthropogenic interaction activities (640) in the TNP. This study highlighted P.A. management's challenges and the urgency for an effective management system to be implemented for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be attained at the country level.

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