The importance of biological diversity in the functioning of ecosystems and in the provision of goods and services for human well-being is well established. It ensures food safety, human health, and the supply of clean air and drinking water. It contributes to local livelihoods, economic development, and is essential to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, including poverty reduction (CBD, 2010).

Despite this recognized importance of biodiversity, it continues to be impoverished. According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005), 60% of the world's ecosystem services have deteriorated over the past 50 years, mainly as a result of the unsustainable use of land, fresh water and ocean resources. Most of the main habitats also declined during this period Concerning species, the IUCN Red List on Threatened Species states that worldwide, 22% of terrestrial mammals are threatened and at risk of extinction, as are 1/3 of amphibians, 1/8 of amphibians, 1/8 of birds, 27% of coral reefs and 28% of conifers. Species extinction rates are up to 1000 times higher than the average rates of the pre-human period and the trend continues.

Cameroon has one of the richest biodiversity in Africa. As in other regions of the world, it is threatened on a daily basis by the irresponsible behaviors of countless actors who are unaware of its crucial role.

Meeting in Aichi to protect the planet's biodiversity, experts from the Biodiversity Convention proposed a projection of the achievement of a number of biodiversity conservation objectives by 2020.

Efforts have been made to conserve this important resource and to preserve ecosystems both at the international level (Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992, etc.) and at the national level (adoption of the framework law on environmental management, development of the strategy and action plan on biological diversity, etc.). Despite the efforts made in terms of information, environmental education and awareness-raising, the public perception of biodiversity is not sufficiently informed. Indeed, at the moment, no measure makes it possible to codify or even quantify the efforts undertaken to raise awareness about biological diversity. There is therefore the problem not only of monitoring the phenomenon, but also of evaluating it in terms of measuring the progress made. IUCN, in its position paper (November 2011) on monitoring the implementation of the strategic plan for biodiversity (framework of proposed indicators) recommends that stakeholders, while being part of the process of establishing nationally relevant indicators, use existing indicators and currently used by other conventions to measure progress in achieving the Aichi Targets. There will therefore be the problem of specifying the indicators. Hence the revision of the 2010 strategic plan in Nagoya, Japan into a 2011-2020 strategic plan with a shared vision and serving as a flexible framework for the establishment of national objectives.

Faced with the importance of information exchanges between stakeholders, the Government of Cameroon created the Information Exchange Center in 1999, also called the Clearing House Mechanism (CHM). The CHM plays a key role in educating and informing the general public and can at the same time take a key position in assessing the progress made in this direction.

Among its activities, CHM Cameroon has initiated the project entitled “Identification, validation and reference study of indicators of awareness, communication and public engagement with respect to biodiversity in Cameroon” .This project wants to contribute to the achievement of objective 1 of the strategic goal A of the Aichi objectives which states that: “By 2020 at the latest, individuals are aware of the value of biological diversity and the measures they can take to preserve it and use it sustainably” .He also joins the concerns of the international community, in particular that of the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences of Belgium (IRSCnb) regarding the identification of relevant indicators to provide information on the perception of biodiversity (awareness) by the general public in Cameroon. This project takes place in two phases and is located in five major agro-ecological zones in Cameroon, namely:

* Stage I:

• Identify indicators of awareness, communication and public engagement with respect to biodiversity in Cameroon;
• Have these indicators validated by the CHM Cameroon committee

* Stage II:

• Test the indicators validated in phase I through a baseline study on the state of public awareness, attitudes and engagement with respect to biodiversity.

This is the culmination of phase II of this project, which is why it is necessary to draw up a reference study report on indicators of public awareness, attitudes and engagement with respect to biodiversity in Cameroon.

I.2.Objectives of the study

• Aichi Target

This goal aims to ensure that by 2020 at the latest, people are aware of the value of biological diversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably.

• Project objective

The objective of the project is to test the indicators validated in phase I, through a baseline study on the state of public awareness, communication, attitudes and engagement with respect to biodiversity.