Cameroon Still ‘Drenched’ In Water Scarcity Despite Billions
Fifteen years ago, Yaounde, the administrative capital of Cameroon, was plunged into an acute shortage of water that the inhabitants did not understand. Soon, the water scarcity escalated to other towns nationwide even with the zapping of ministers of Mines, Water Resource and Energy.
By Azore Opio
Although the government puts a high premium on potable water, signing accord after accord, and switching Water ministers from… Henry Tume Kibuh, Siyam Siwe Alphonse, Michael Ngako Tomdio to Basile Atangana Kouna, and others before, the water situation remains desperate.
In much of the rest of the country, the population finds the liquid of life as elusive as ever in household and public taps. In spite of many water conventions signed by government and various money lenders, a different reality has set in – little or no clean water for the population.
Recently, precisely on September 11, 2013, the government of China lent Cameroon some 85.4 billion frs CFA for the supply of potable water in Bafoussam, Bamenda, Kribi and Sangmenlima. Part of that money was also earmarked for the rehabilitation of some hospitals in Yaounde, Buea and Mbalmayo.
Earlier, the African Development Bank, (ADB) loaned Cameroon 50 billion frs cfa for the development of water distribution networks nationwide. The impact of the loan is yet to be felt.
Sometime last year, communications manager at CAMWATER, Gaston Meka, had claimed that by the end of the year, "Douala will have a new production unit and we're also doing social connections for people who don't have enough money to get access to potable water."
By press time, Douala water works on the banks of River Mungo are still to pump the precious liquid into the rusted taps in the economic capital.
In Limbe on the Atlantic Ocean coast, water flows only in ‘chosen’ places even after circa 262 million frs CFA have already been sunk in the works with yet over 300 million frs CFA in the pipeline.
One would think that, after all these years of water convention signings and an array or ministers, Cameroon would be immune to water scarcity.
The rehabilitation and extension of the water system in Buea by a certain company, ASPAC CEMAC, prior to the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Cameroon have barely yielded dividends. Hundreds of millions were spent on the project that ran for two years, yet many quarters still go without water and inhabitants have to trek or drive away from their homes in the never-ending search for water.
People are incredibly touched by the story of so much money spent on water and yet most taps are still dry and the next World Water Day will be commemorated on Saturday, March 22 under the theme “Water and Energy”.
