The project will help reduce the rate of soil degradation and the effects of climate change.

Garbage disposal is a major cause for concern in Bafia in the Mbam and Inoubou Division in the Centre Region. It is in this light that a project for the management of household waste for the fight against land degradation and climatic change was launched in Bafia recently.

Speaking during the occasion, the First Deputy Mayor of the Bafia Council, Iroume à Rikam Paul Marie said the project is an alternative to two major problems in the municipality. These included poor agricultural production and the effects of climate change. He hailed the efforts of development partners such as the UNDP through “The small grants programme” and GIC Le Vert which are contributing in helping the Bafia Council in its efforts in keeping Bafia town clean.

He said the council will do everything to ensure the success of the project. The objective of the project is to help reduce the rate of soil degradation and the effects of climate change. The main activities of the project include sensitisation campaigns, garbage cleaning and provision of waste disposal sites, training of trainers among others.

Even though Bafia is a purely agricultural zone a greater part of the agriculture is done on polluted land. This is due to poor usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Apart from that the town of Bafia, the third largest in the Centre Region produces almost 16.7 tons of household waste per year and only one third of the wastes is collected by the services of the Bafia municipality.

The remaining two thirds is disposed in uncontrollable garbage sites, parcels of cultural land and in water courses.  Apart from that the presence of garbage waste causes a dangerous impact on the land and the environment. The project is an initiative of the NGO GIC Le Vert in partnership with the Bafia Council and the World Bank.