The Mezam River and its tributaries constitute a prominent water source for domestic use and vegetable irrigation in Bamenda Town (North West Cameroon). The river flows through the city and is thus vulnerable to impairment by substances from point and non-point sources. This current research aims to assess the degree of pollution of the Mezam River water to ascertain its suitability for various uses. A total of 24 water samples were collected from six segments of the Mezam River basin in the dry and rainy seasons during the years 2015 and 2016 in view of physico-chemical and bacteriological analyses. In situ measurement of physical parameters was taken in the field. The data were analysed by multivariate statistical techniques (principal component analysis and factor analysis). The results revealed that the river water is slightly acidic (pH = 5.45–6.47) and ion concentration is low (41.67–237.00 µS/cm). The water type is Ca-SO4 and Ca-Mg-(Cl + NO3) in the dry season and Ca-Mg-SO4 in the rainy season. High NO3− values (50 mg/l) are recorded at Nkimefueh. The Mezam River water is heavily polluted with indicator bacteria (0–500 CFU/100 ml) whose concentrations steadily increase from the reference point (YB) through sampling points in the city centre, suggesting the influence of human-induced activities. The population is urged to adopt a responsible behaviour towards waste disposal and refrain from disposing waste in water courses in order to safeguard the aquatic environment and also protect the health of the population.

Flood is a recurrent natural disaster that has caused enormous human and material damage in many places and continues to hit local committees at an alarming rate. The need to setup permanent committees to prevent and manage flood disasters by local communities is therefore indispensable. In rural areas, the creation of such a structure is always a welcome relief to flood victims but it is often marred by numerous management problems. This study aimed to analyze the community-based approach in the prevention and management of flood disasters in Babessi Subdivision (North West Cameroon), to identify the causes of flood disasters and the preventive strategies used by this local community. A total number of 300 questionnaires as well as structured interviews were used to collect data in the field and the data were analyzed by simple descriptive statistics. The main results revealed that the main cause of flood disasters is heavy and consistent rainfall. Also, poor refuse disposal and drainage system management contribute to floods. The identification of areas likely to be affected by floods and preventing the riparian population from constructing houses along these areas especially beside the main rivers are the flood preventive measures adopted by the local flood management committee. The flood victims are reluctant to relocate to the settlement site earmarked by the Government, meanwhile, the local flood committee do not have the legal tools to forcefully relocate them. The population of Babessi needs to be sensitized on the impending dangers of flood hazard and be encouraged to particiHow to cite this paper:

Groundwater is a valuable natural resource whose quality is threatened by natural and man-made pollutants. This study aims to perform a hydrochemical characterization of groundwater resources used for domestic and irrigational activities in Melong (Littoral Cameroon). Thus, 26 subsurface water samples were collected in the dry season (six sampling points) and rainy season (seven sampling points) of the years 2019 and 2020. Physical water quality parameters were measured on the field while ionic constituents and bacteriological parameters were determined in the laboratory. The main findings revealed that the pH of the water samples was slightly acidic to neutral, fluctuating from 5.3 to 7.1; electrical conductivity ranged from 0.03 to 0.33 µS/cm and turbidity varied from 0.5 to 33.7 NTU revealing that the water is weakly mineralized. The ionic constituents were such that Ca 2+ > K + > Mg 2+ > Na + for cationic constituents while anions appeared as HCO 3 -> NO 3 ->Cl -> PO 4 3-. The major ions fell within the acceptable limits of World Health Organisation (WHO) drinking water standards. Bacteria indicators of faecal pollution were identified in all the water samples, including Enterobacteria, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus and Vibrio. This indicates an exposure of water sources to unhygienic conditions that may place consumers at risk of water-borne diseases, hence necessitating basic treatment of the water before consumption.