The effects of climate change are hitting everybody hard. Every action towards mitigating the impact of the global phenomenon is therefore laudable.
It was within this framework that the United Kingdom via the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew (RBG) in partnership with Cameroon’s Institute of Agricultural Development (IRAD) organized a series of events from June 14 to 22, 2025 at the British High Commission Residence in Bastos, Yaounde. The events marked the UK climate week.
One key activity during the exercise was a special reception in honour of Dr Cecile Njebet, the first person from Central Africa to win the Kew International Medal.
The Kew International Medal is a special award for persons whose works align with RBG mission of understanding and protecting plants and fungi for the wellbeing of people and the future of life on earth.
Cecile Njebet was recognized for her “long career campaigning to preserve the forests of her country and improve the lives of the people who depend on them,” according to a statement from Kew.
Dr Cecile is the co-founder of The African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests, an organization advocating more land ownership for women.
Speaking at the event, she revealed that her organization has restored forests in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Togo and several other countries. Special emphasis, she added, is laid on fruit trees, which do not only help to fight climate change but also improve the diets of the people.
Returning scholars welcomed
The climate week culminated in a welcome party for somer eight young Cameroonians who had completed their Master’s Degrees programmes in the UK thanks to the Chevening Scholarship.
The Chevening Scholarship is UK-funded programme that enables outstanding individuals from around the world to pursue a one-year Master’s Degree at a UK university. It’s open to anyone who can speak English.
The eight returning scholars’ projects largely focused on the struggle for a sustainable environment.
Diang Jude Abungwa, one of the returnees, studied climate change and sustainability at the Liverpool John Moores University. With the skills and information gathered from the studies, Jude said he wants “to give back to the community.”
Launch of Important Plant Areas of Cameroon
The climate week also featured the launch of a book titled Important Plant Areas of Cameroon. The 302-page book details areas where important and threatened tree species are found in Cameroon. It also says why and how the trees should be protected to ensure food security, health and the protection of the environment.
Speaking during the ceremony, the British High Commissioner to Cameroon Matt Woods, Kew Professor Phil Stevenson and co-author Martin Creek disclosed that the book was the fruit of decades of research by Kew and IRAD researchers.
