Cameroonian Urban Floodwater Retaliations on Human Activity and Infrastructural Developments in Channel Flood Ways of Kumba
- 1 Laboratory of Environment, Hazards and Sustainable Development, Department of Geography, Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
- 2 Department of Geography, Higher Teachers Training College, The University of Bamenda, Bambili, Cameroon
Abstract
In Cameroonian cities, floods from solid pollutant barriers constitute environmental hazards of new distinct dimension, nature and characteristics. This study examines geographical settings provoking floods in cities and the way it affects the population. It suggests appropriate policy mitigation options. Primary and secondary data collected through fieldwork and documentary sources were treated. Findings show that national and local rules and legislation are weakly applied exposing urban natural floodway to varied forms of human colonisation activities. These urban stream flood ways that ought to be downstream water evacuation role players reversed into inhabited neighbourhoods of diverted water. Human activities and infrastructural urban inputs that unconsciously imposed directional dictates unto urban stream flow have become self-made victims of wicked egocentrism over urban stream channels. As nature is permanently in a state of dynamic re-equilibration the urban stream waters have in retaliation taught its trouble givers a disproportionately unequal negative response in enormous fatalities for the humans who dare to resist its floods and abandonment for those who have been repeatedly humbled by its floods. The response from this no man’s land of aborted human conquest requires comprehensive and multidimensional environmental management in stream-bordered urban built.
- Adelekan, I. O. (2010). Vulnerability of Poor Urban Coastal Communities to Flooding in Lagos, Nigeria. Environment and Urbanization, 22, 433-450. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956247810380141
- Azeh, M. S. (2011). Vulnerability to Flood and Socio-Economic Implications in Bamenda, the North West Region of Cameroon. Unpublished DIPES II Dissertation, Higher Teacher Training College, Bambili, University of Bamenda, 99 p.
- Betey Campion, B., & Venzke, J.-F. (2013). Rainfall Variability, Floods and Adaptations of the Urban Poor to Flooding in Kumasi, Ghana. Natural Hazards, 65, 1895-1911. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11069-012-0452-6
- Dias, L. F. (2013). City, Climate Change and Floods. A Contribution to the Urban Resilience Study. In Klijn & Schweckendiek (Eds.), Comprehensive Flood Risk Management. London: Taylor & Francis Group.
- Dzalla Ngangue, G. C. (2013). Mangrove de l’estuaire du Wouri: Enjeux de l’anthropisation d’un écosystème humide tropical et impacts environnementaux. Thèse de Doctorat Université de Douala, 446.
- Fogwe, Z. N., & Lambi, C. M. (2001). Combatting Inundation in Some Cameroonian Cities: An Appraisal of Indigenous Strategies. In C. M. Lambi (Ed.), Environmental Issues: Problems and Prospects (pp. 133-146). Bamenda: Unique Printers and Publisher.
- Fogwe, Z. N. (2005). Urban Development and Environmental Assessment of the Douala Metropolis. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Department of Geography, FSMS, University of Buea, 371 p.
- Fogwe, Z. N. (2008). The Cameroonian City Counter-Flood Response Strategies at the 21st Century. Journal of Applied Social Sciences, 7.
- Fogwe, Z. N. (2009). Recurrent Urban Deluges and Rainfall Intensity in the Gulf of Guinea. Journal of Intra-African Studies, 2.
- Fogwe, Z. N. (2015). Perception of Some Recent Flood Risks and Hazards in Cameroon in Dominique MEVA’A ABOMO (Ed) De la faillite de la santé urbaine à la ville-santé au Cameroun regards croisés entre acteurs, pratiques, défis et enjeux, Edition Universitaires Europeennes, OmnScriptum, Saarbrucken, Deutschland, 34-49.
- Fogwe, Z. N., & Fombutio, C. N. (2010). Tropical City Milieux and Disease Infection: The Case of Douala, Cameroon. Journal of Human Ecology, 30, 123-130.
- Fogwe, Z. N., & Nkelzok, V. K. (2013). Psycho-Geographical Evaluation of the Douala City (Cameroon) Sensitisation Programme against Municipal Waste Dilemma. International Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences, 5, 204-216.