North West region: Environmentalists urge plastic reduction to fight floods

By Mercy Kusi*

On a normal bright day in Bamenda, the chief city of the North West region, there is bustling and hustling, the town is alive, busier than a beehive. The beautiful landscape gives the city a touch of uniqueness, a sense of belonging, and a place to visit. From Up Station where you can view the entire city to City Chemist, the heart of Bamenda is thumping. Passing through the streets, one cannot ignore the folkloric music and bottle dance from restaurants, with the Voice of the late Kotto Bass echoing “Bamenda eh eh, I nofit forget you” ( meaning Bamenda, I cannot forget about you), but these beauties can quickly be transformed into nightmares when rain falls. When it rains, the city shows it true colors and leaves homes, families, and businesses devasted.

According to a research paper published in The African Journal of Health Sciences (2022), floods make up 12% of all-natural disasters in Cameroon yearly. Out of the main causes such as lack of drainage systems, and blockage of drainages, the study highlights Rainfall as the highest with 44%.

June through September are known for heightened rainfall in Cameroon’s Northwest Region, and other parts of the country resulting in huge runoffs in most communities. When not properly controlled, these are likely to result in riverine floods in regional neighborhoods, resulting in huge economic and material losses, including deaths in worst-case scenarios.

The armed conflict in the North West region of Cameroon which has led to a mass exodus from rural areas to the region’s urban center (Bamenda), Environmentalists say, further makes the town prone to floods, especially given constant rainfall.

Effects of population density in Bamenda

Rain constantly falls in the North West region during the rainy seasons. This was witnessed with little effect on the population but since 2016 when people started migrating as IDPs to the main city, residents have begun experiencing huge rainfall accompanied by damaging floods. Experts say this was expected because Bamenda has developed a lot of paved surfaces like roads, buildings, and parking lots, and these do not allow water to freely soak into the ground, thereby causing floods.

Also, there is an overwhelming drainage system because the existing ones were designed for the capacities of the time when they were constructed.

Among others, there is a sharp increase in demands for sanitation systems, reduction of natural drainage systems like cutting down trees and building more houses, and urban heat island effect.

These causes have led to more frequent and severe flooding events, causing damage to properties, infrastructure, and posing a risk to public health and safety.

Why plastic pollution remains a big threat

Huge amounts of plastic waste are deposited on the streets, streams, and waterways in Bamenda annually, constituting a great environmental hazard for the population. A circular economist, Ngalim Franklin popularly called “Mr Green” for his huge work in environmental protection, is one of those concerned about the littering of plastic wastes in the town.”I visited the wetland of Mulang a few days ago, and I saw over a million plastic bottles cover an entire wetland. I mean the entire stream channel was completely buried with plastics of different types, and this is no different from the situation when you visit the banks of River Mezam, from Mbengwi Park going towards Alabukam or if you visit the banks of River Mezam from Mile six. There is absolutely no difference. All these stream channels are completely buried with plastics,” Ngalim revealed.

When it rains incessantly, it is commonplace to find people dumping wastes and plastic bottles into gutters having in mind that running water will sweep them away, but they have never wondered where the waste will end! This consequently leads to blockages of drainage systems. “These plastics not only occupy space that the water was supposed to use, but they greatly contribute to flooding in these areas,” “Mr Green” noted.

Practical solutions to control and mitigate floods in Bamenda

For a city already battling with over 7 years of conflict, the tendency is for most inhabitants to neglect good practices that protect the environment, as they tend to imagine that their security lies only in staying unhurt from gunshots or violence. However, there are concerns that if people do not pay attention to how they manage plastic and other garbage, the effects will be devastating to their environment and livelihoods. Franklin Ngalim is convinced that recycling, reusing, and reducing plastic waste, are better and more effective options to flood prevention. “We need to look at the situation of plastic waste management in the city of Bamenda in a bid to mitigate flooding in the city. When you move around town, almost every drainage has been covered with plastics. We need to take action to reduce the volume of plastics that are littered in the environment, or effectively manage our plastic wastes, in a bid to reduce flooding in Bamenda,” he proposed.

Apart from managing plastic waste, experts continue to advocate for the expansion of greenspaces, as a way of controlling the devastating effects of floods in the North West region of Cameroon. The planting of shrubs, grass, and raffia is said to have the capacity to hold water, thereby mitigating floods. Meanwhile policy makers have been called upon to apply stringent measures and carry out environmental impact assessments, to regulate the construction of buildings on wetlands, as the population rapidly grows.

About the author

Mercy Kusi is a journalist working with State Media, CRTV North West region, with eight years of experience reporting in the same region on several topics. Mercy has a deep passion for environmental issues. She has spent the past three years reporting on climate change, sustainability efforts, and the impact of human activity on the natural world on the radio. Today, she brings a critical eye and a knack for storytelling to complex environmental challenges, making them accessible and engaging for a wide audience online.

Email: mercykusij@gmail.com