The following article was shared by The R&B Group from Forests News. Research shows informal networks are the most reliable when government structures fall short.  

It has an on-ground social networking system that could be harnessed to spread knowledge about climate change-in much the same way as the viral world of the Internet.

And while helping Cameroon's informal networks go 'viral' may be possible, a recent study from the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) indicates that much needs to be done in the country's villages to harness social networks to foster adaptation and mitigation.

Eighty percent of Cameroon's poor live in rural areas, dependent on the land and forests for their livelihoods; almost all villagers have access to some land to grow their own food or a mix of food crops and cash crops such as coffee, cacao and oil palm.  

Drought, unpredictable rains, and changing seasons have brought the harsh reality of climate change to those communities - and now adaptation is not choice, but a necessity.

THINK NATIONALLY, ACT LOCALLY

The new research looked at the capacity of institutions to influence and share knowledge about climate change in Cameroon's often remote areas.

"You can't rely on individual knowledge and effort to tackle climate change, because capacity is so limited," says CIFOR senior scientist Denis Sonwa, who is based in Yaoundé.

"So we looked at the government and NGOs, as well as informal organizations, like farmers' cooperatives and savings groups, to see what is being done, and could be done by them." 

Institutions have long been identified as critical to people's ability to adapt to climate change, not just because they can act like a safety net, but for their ability to foster social learning, innovation and problem solving.  

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