Transboundary Wetland Diplomacy: Contributions of the 1996 Environmental Management Law of Cameroon

This paper seeks to examine the contributions of the 1996 Environmental Management Law of Cameroon in solving disputes between two or more countries sharing a common trans-boundary wetland ecosystem and by so doing building peace and diplomatic cooperation between the countries. The article aimed at discussing the role played by the Environmental Management Law in wetland diplomacy. The paper argued that although the Environmental Management Law did not expressly protect trans-boundary wetlands in Cameroon, it implicitly did so under article 29, 82 and 92 of the law. To the paper, the Environmental Management Code of Cameroon is not without shortcomings as far as trans-boundary wetland diplomacy is concern. To arrive at this finding, the research relies essentially on the analysis of primary and secondary data, using intensive desk research technique to collect relevant information from text books, articles and internet sources. To remedy this situation the paper proposed the putting into place of a shared trans-boundary management plan, the protection of trans-boundary wetlands through international law and sensitization of the local communities close to trans-boundary wetlands in particular and the populations of the countries sharing the common wetland ecosystem in general.