Water Source Management in the Peri-Urban Area in Subsaharan Africa: Environmental and Health Impacts Assessment in Yaounde-Cameroon

Abstract

This study was carried out in the outskirts of the Yaoundé VII district had the main objective of assessing the social and environmental impacts of water management in the outskirts of Yaoundé VII. This work was carried out from December 2021 to March 2022, followed by an appropriate methodology to meet the outlined objectives:(1) in-situ evaluation of physicochemical parameters of well water; (2) laboratory studies of groundwater samples for bacteria and heavy metals; and (3) questionnaire surveys to acquire water consumption demographics were all part of our study. It consisted of under taking site visits, take pictures, and make household surveys and direct observations, analysis at several water points. The results show that the villages in the surrounding area of the district of Yaoundé VII obtain water through alternative resources such as wells at 60 %, sources 30 %, drillings, 7 %, rivers and others at 3 %, due to lack of Camwater network. Analysis at the water points has revealed that the physico-chemical parameters such as COD, BOD5, TSS, NO3, PO3, have average percentages respectively 83 mg/L, 35 mg/L, 14 mg/L, 0,33 mg/l and the biological parameters such as faecal coliforms faecal streptococci and total coliforms have percentages of 329,25 (UFC/100 ml), 115,5(UFC/100 ml), 835 (UFC/100 ml), These parameters in their majority do not meet with the MINEPDED environmental standards. This can be explained due to anthropogenic activities (fields, brick, factories, etc), that impact on the quality of water from different points of water villages covered. However, 10 positive and 02 negative impacts were identified. Alternative water resources in the villages do not meet certain environmental standards and human anthropogenic activities are a source of negative impacts such as poor well maintenance, which can cause many water borne diseases like typhoid fever. More supply in water like boreholes should be built, or establish the Camwater network   for better water management by the populations of the peripheral zone of the district of Yaoundé VII.