INTRODUCTION
Watershed in Cameroon and some other parts of the world remain the main sources of fresh water and the immediate source of sustainability for the entire population within the communities, especially in the upper watersheds.

From Archaeological dug up, the current areas seriously affected today by drought, the semi-arid and arid parts of the world, the desert regions of the world have all proven to be regions of large river basins, lakes and the watersheds of the world supporting very thick woodland and a rain fed cropland. These have supported a very large population with one of the most booming economies of the world millions of years ago. For example Egypt (Nile), Mali, Niger that are heavily threatened by desert conditions are as a result of poor management policies within watersheds.

Same in Cameroon, the population in this part of the world is been repelled and the natural and cultural heritages of such communities are disappearing inasmuch as the economies are dwindling. The River basins are disappearing taking away peculiar issues of Biological interest.
How long must this continue and what is the faith of these communities and the faith of the present and flourishing watersheds in the thick equatorial regions of the world?

Watersheds in Cameroon account for over 70% of the left forest and forest resources and the cultural heritage of the people with over 98% of the population engage in subsistence peasant Agriculture for their entire livelihood especially in the south west Province of Cameroon where Mt Cameroon, Mt. Rumpi and Mt Kupe Manenguba are the main sources of fresh water supporting Larger Rivers like river Meme, River Ndian, River Manyu just to name but a few.
They depend directly or indirectly on the watersheds since they are cut off from the towns due to lack of accessible roads for goods and services, absence of social amenities like schools, Hospitals and communication services.

That is to say they use the local materials within the forests to construct their houses, wild fruits and other non-timber forests products (NTFP) as food, and for sales in their local markets. They increase their protein level from the fish caught in the rivers.

Watershed externalities are common within the communities. This is mainly due to poverty.
So, in order to fight for survival; the forests resources are indiscriminately exploited, poor irrigational practices, deforestation, overgrazing and over tilling are a day to day affair leading to land degradation.

GOVERNANCE AND DECENTRALIZATION
The communities have a limited say and the rationale for the decentralization process, which is still to be put in place by government.

First of all, the communities may chose to regulate control over what is in their best interest but their voices are voiceless.

Long ago these forests were exhaustively exploited by colonial masters leaving the communities helpless, with no infrastructures nor any social amenities to assist them thereafter. Some temporal bridges which were constructed during this period have collapsed making the communities to suffer to transport goods and services to other towns and to local Markets. As a result have drowned in the rivers and the lakes loosing lives and property.

Recently, there had been strong Institutional arrangements for collective action within the watersheds. This is within the cultural groups that have emerged as the highest decision making bodies within the Watersheds as they contribute immensely in the implementation of a sound watershed management policies.

Some of the Cultural groups are the BALUE DEVEOPMENT ORGANZATION(BADO),THE NGOLO CULTURAL AND DEVEOPMENT ASSOCIATION(NCUDA),THE BAFAW CULTURAL ORGANIZATION, THE BAKUNDU CULTURAL AND DEVELOPMENT MEETING(BCDM) THE BAYANG DEVEPOMENT MEETING, THE BAKOSSI CULTURAL MEETING, just to mention a few. We have contributed to influence local laws, policies and customs like the right over land, water and other resources within the watershed, but with little support from government.

POVERTY ALLEVIATION
Since these communities are sometimes accessed by Roads which are very Muddy and slippery during the rains and very dusty and stony during the dry season, it is necessary to provide trucks to plight the roads.

This will assist the communities convey their farm produce mainly Cocoa, coffee and other non-timber forests products(NTFP) to the markets to compete good quality and better market prices in the metropolitan cities since this sector has been liberalize by Government. Hence, Poverty may be alleviated while living and working standards improved.

This is because the poor transportation means causes a huge Agricultural wastes and loss since crops cannot reach the market and buyers cannot penetrate these communities.

Through Agro forestry, enough money will be generated from the sales of harvests and to combat rural poverty and hunger. All these will reduce the threats to the forests and hence contribute to arrest desertification.

Due to lack of equipments and machines in these communities, forest are been threatened by bush fires to gain access to fuel by the indigenous population.
Silviculture within the forests will improve standards of living.
Some other trees that are lying on the forest floor can now be cut into logs and used as fuel in the household.

This is because some of these trees decompose without been put into any use due to their large sizes and absence of chainsaws to cut the woods.

This will further protect the forest and prevent land degradation within the watershed.

Moreover, certain crops will jointly be prevented from Cultivation within the watershed e.g. crops like Cassava, Melon, Maize, Groundnuts which require the complete clearance or cutting of the immediate vegetation to allow enough sunrays to penetrate crops and soils needs to be prevented from cultivation; instead crops which favour other larger plants or which can do well even under shed like plantains coco yams, pepper, beans be cultivated. This will go a long way in supporting the forest and avoiding practices to promote land degradation and drought.

The communities are equally supposed to be provided with fishing equipments like nets and boats so as to direct their influence into the rivers to prevent the usage of toxic chemicals into the rivers to catch fish.

CONCLUSIONS
From the points of view, Desertification, and Deforest station can easily be arrested within communities in the watershed by providing a strong institutional influence with local Cultural groups through recognized bodies. Moreover, Agro forestry remains a strong tool to combat desertification and to maintain the watersheds and contribute to sustainable rural devlopment.

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