Kum Christian Tegha

Kum Christian Tegha, is a PhD research fellow in the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, College of Technology, University of Bamenda, Cameroon. Christian holds a Masters degree in Natural Resource and Environmental Management and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science, both from the University of Buea, Cameroon. Christian’s research focuses on identifying sustainable agricultural systems and land use practices that can bridged the gap between food security and environmental protection as a way of providing social and ecological justice. He looks at sustainable farming systems particularly with smallholder farmers who are primarily responsible for encroachment into various ecosystems. Particularly, Christian’s PhD research is focused on determining the effects of some land use and land use change on soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS) in the Bamenda Highlands and comparing SOCS, GHG (CO2, CH4, N2O) emissions and yields under two maize farming systems.

Born and grew up in Bamenda, Cameroon, Christian is interested in estimating and modelling soil organic carbon, greenhouse gas emissions and crop yields from various agricultural farming systems aimed at identifying farming systems that maximizes yields and SOC but minimizes GHG emissions. Christian is fluent in English and fairly good in French. Christian and peers cofounded and registered the Sustainable Environment, Ecotourism, and Agricultural Development Organization (SEEADO) which is a non-governmental, non-political and non-profit organisation in Cameroon that works to promote sustainable environment and agriculture, and mainstream ecotourism into conservation for the benefit of people and biodiversity. Christian and Co work with farmers in grassroots communities especially women, to understand how land use and sustainable agriculture practices can affect food security, biodiversity conservation, and environmental protection; and also, how biodiversity conservation can be used for ecotourism to improve on the livelihood of indigenous people. Christian is looking forward to more community nature-based conservation projects that would lead to sustainable environments, stable productivity and nature conservation. Christian has taught Soil Conservation, Environmental Transport Processes, Soil Mechanics, Soil and water engineering, Industrial and Urban waste management, Treatment of contaminated sites, Statistics and data analysis, and research techniques in the University of Bamenda; and Sustainable Agriculture, Crop Production & Protection, Soil Pedology & Fertility, Waste Management, Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental health and policy, Environmental Law, Emergency Preparedness & disaster management, Statistics & Business Mathematics, Research, and data analysis in PAN African Institute for Development Studies Douala, Cameroon.