Disorderly construction, low plain, absence of regular rehabilitation and drainage of gullies and the emptying of waste into water channels to blame.
Flooding is perceived as both historic and volatile by Douala residents who live in constant physical and emotional threats with the return of persistent rains two weeks now. Yet, living in swamps, risk zones and slums though unlawful seem most preferred by urban poor in Douala. Squatter habitation such as Mambanda, “Bois des Singes”, Missoke, Ngangue, “Petit Paris” in Bonapriso, and other flood prone areas of the economic capital is nothing short of a volatile source of fear, especially with every drop of rain.
Most see their fear as a logical consequence of a violent storm that thrashed across several neighbourhoods on June 19 breaking 20, 2015 including that of 2014 which splashed through New Bell to Ngangue and Bonapriso, whereby people stayed up past dawn flushing out water from floods and open roofs whose tops had been blown off to distant places. Worse still, foundations of most homes have been fragilised and living in them is risky.
Considering that meteorologists forecast more rainstorms in the days ahead worries by squatter residents is sequel to damages recorded over the weekend and past years. Along with the huge economic loss and communication difficulties that was a brought of the floods, the deaths of over four people in the northern parts of Douala has refreshed memories concerning violent storms that swept away two children in Ngangue, as well as an elderly man in New Bell and one or two other children in other neighbourhoods between 2013 and 2014 in which some of their bodies are yet to be found.
Didier Yimkoua, environmentalist, attributes flooding in Douala to many factors including deforestation along the Wouri estuary and a poor urban plan. “The absence of mangroves doesn’t only cause changes in climate but also allow the river to flow as flood events into neighbourhoods like “Bois des Singes”, Deido “Plage”, and so on. More so Douala is a low lying plain with the water table just nearby, and if it happens that it rains heavily there will be flooding.” Disorderly occupation of land, homes built on gullies in Ngangue and the emptying of waste in waterways are attitudes that must not be practised. He also pointed to the sandy Douala soils which are easily carried into and dumped along culverts thereby blocking the smooth flow of rain water, thus flooding. Last week’s floods, he said, cut off most companies bordering the Wouri River, indicating that the companies must quickly take measures to adapt else they risk stopping work to floods in the future.
