CLIMATE CHANGE: Yaoundé’s people under water

Currently, the city of Yaoundé is experiencing the great rainy season. Yet, between the cold and the heat, the inhabitants can no longer distinguish which season it really is. The torrential rains that cause floods mainly hinder their economic activities, a situation that does not delight them.

Climate change or global warming is a natural phenomenon, characterized by the increase in average temperatures from the atmosphere and oceans, induced by the large amount of heat that is stored on the earth’s surface. This phenomenon, which is spreading around the world, is of great concern to the world’s population; that of Africa, and especially that of its countries, including Cameroon.
With regard to Cameroon, he knows the tropical climates in the north and equatorials in the south. In fact, the country has four distinct seasons, on which the rural population is mainly based to carry out their agricultural activities. They are: the great rainy season from mid-August to mid-November; the great.

However, Cameroon is already experiencing climate instability problems for more than 15 years. Between the hot and cold temperatures that are felt simultaneously, in cities such as Douala, Edéa and Yaoundé, people seem increasingly confused about this phenomenon. At this moment, Yaoundé, the capital for example, is experiencing its great rainy season. This season brings high winds and heavy rains, with temperatures ranging from 21° to 27°C. This navigation between cold and hot throughout this so-called “big rainy season” Samadan NGALVAN and Francis, respectively, say: “I do not want to leave residents indifferent to the situation.

”We can no longer tell the difference between the rainy season and the dry season, I think this is due to the warming of the climte change

This is how the climate of Cameroon’s political capital presents itself, with rains characterized by heavy rainfall, creating floods that paralyze the economic activities of these populations. Emmanuel, a merchant at the central post office in Yaoundé, denounces this deplorable situation: We are living these floods very badly, because when it rains, we are forced to pack our goods and stop all activity, because the floods can last two days; the goods packed, are rather brought home because the water also floods the interior of the stores”.
To try to solve this problem of climate change in Cameroon, governments have mobilized. It is with this in mind that was created on 10 December 2009 the National Climate Change Board (NAACC).

Its mission is to inform the various development sectors about the periods during which they can grow their agricultural products, especially by the note of an agricultural calendar elaborated and adapted to current climatological situations. This structure is headed by Professor Joseph Armathée AMOUGOU, who is its Director General. At his office, he explains in more detail the consequences of climate change in particular on agricultural activities: The impacts of this climate change on agriculture are: the sharp decline in agricultural yield quantities; the poor harvest of products, due to the fact that the land is not prepared». At the same time, he confides his expert opinion on effective solutions that have been adopted in order to limit global warming in Cameroon. Pr AMOUGOU: “we are raising awareness by encouraging people to plant trees, especially in already deserted areas; to halt the felling of wood which consists in strengthening the resilience of our forests in order to limit the emission of greenhouse; there is also German cooperation (GIZ), which collaborates with the various ministries in charge of the environment and forests, in order to proceed with the recovery of the waste from the firewood for its transformation into coal; this coal which is subsequently redistributed to the inhabitants of the far north, allowing the latter to no longer go into the forest to obtain.

Victor Esso Tiki