Author(s)

Zephania N. Fogwe^*

Department of Geography and Planning, Faculty of Arts, The University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon.

Since the 1990s flood water hazards have recurrently created reason vexing moments on the Cameroonian urban folk of major and minor towns by inflicting fatality toll beating-off manned efforts to mitigate the ugliness unleashed. Flood catastrophe in frequency and toll in towns sited on more inland highland towns like Bamenda has given birth to dynamic survival strategies since impacts change in space and time. Northern Bamenda has emerged as haven for ravaging River Mezam with rising forms of flood havoc on humans and their investments. Primary and secondary data collected from related stakeholders (government and municipal officials concerned with abating the flood occurrence and managing its aftermath as well as individuals who consciously or not trigger the floods). The aim of this study was to relativize flood water bearing on urban population reactions in the wake of the rising calamity. Results reveal that flood trends are advancing yearly in the like of fatalities that systematically make nonsense of urban setup human endeavours to tame floods. This study considers that an urgent urban flood hazard perception revolution must be engaged for this unplanned urban front that is developing where the topography presents a funnelling effect to stream water and so obviously has no respect for the existing flood countering socio-economic and engineering adaptations. Such flood disrespect for urban humans call for man-centred innovative and comprehensive paradigms should there be any hope for less hazardous sustainable city growth in Cameroon.

Bamenda, Flood, Fatalities, River Mezam, Stream, Population

Fogwe, Z. (2016) An Assessment of an Urban Development-Flood-Impact Relationship in a Near Millionaire City of Cameroon (Bamenda). Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 4, 136-146. doi: 10.4236/gep.2016.44017.