CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

• The Context or Background of the Study

In the past few decades, unprecedented global population change has been possible due to natural increase and rapid urbanization. Consequently, this population change have boosted the exploitation of natural resources and increased production and consumption patterns as well as substantial improvements in wellbeing for a large fraction of the world’s population. This has, however, resulted to further exploitation of resources and the subsequent release of large amounts of waste generated and emission of toxic substances to the environment (United Nations, 2021), making Solid Waste Management (SWM) a difficult task in the urban development process of many regions of the world. Globally, the inflows of resources (industrialization and consumption) and outflows (waste) are expected to rise further since a large percentage of the world’s population still needs access to physical resources to achieve certain things such as poverty eradication, food security and ensuring healthy lifestyle through improvement of lining standards as highlighted in the recent 2035 agenda for sustainable development. The indispensible search for a better life has resulted to poor waste disposal by industries and households resulting to environmental pollution and degradation (UN, 2017). Over the past 4 decades, the world population has been increasing rapidly, which implies that the rate at which waste is generated has also increased resulting from the fact that as the population increases, the amount of waste generated will also increase. This phenomenon concerns everyone on the Earth’s surface and so must be studied and measures put in place to better manage and conserve the large amounts of waste generated. It is therefore very important that this aspect of waste generation, disposal, management and conservation should be studied (Singth, 2016).

Martell, (2016) defines Solid Waste (SW) as anything generated as an unwanted consequence of human activity. Waste is regarded as any by-product or the end product of the production and consumption process respectively Waste can be solid or liquid and is classified either as biodegradable or non-biodegradable waste. Solid waste can be defined as waste generated in households, business places and offices as well as waste which is not classified as hazardous and which by its nature or composition could resemble the waste produced in such places or activities. Liquid waste on the other hand is all unwanted water including ordinary storm water and water contaminated by human activities and animals. Liquid waste could include oil and grease liquids waste from households, shops, small and large industries, hospitals, mortuaries and schools. Domestic sewage includes toilets, bathing and washing waste (Gerbens-Leens et al 2010). Biodegradable waste is a type of waste typically originating from plant or animal sources, which maybe degraded by other living organisms. Biodegradable waste accounts for about three quarters of the municipal solid waste produced by homes and businesses, and comprises organic or natural material (Gervais, 2016). These materials breakdown over time (biodegrade) by natural processes. This study focuses primarily on Biodegradable Municipal Waste (BMW), which is produced largely by household and commerce.

Africa is the second fastest growing continent after Asia with an annual rate of 1.4% between 2010-2015 even though Africa is the least urbanized region. Lagos, Cairo and Kinshasha can be considered the third mega cities in Africa with 10million and above people projections also indicate that, between 2010 and 2025, some African cities will account for up to 85% of its population (AFDB, 2017). This high rate of urbanization has resulted to severe environmental problems classified as ecological, poaching and habitat loss, increasing desertification and soil erosion, pollution, deforestation, global warming and slum development and inadequate Solid Waste Management (SWM). According to the UN (2017), urbanisation in Africa is showing that more than half of the global population now lives in urban areas and it is projected to increase to 75% by 2050, at a growing rate of 65 million urban dwellers annually. Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) is often regarded as the world’s fastest urbanizing region. Urban areas currently contain 472million people, and would double over the next 25 years (UN, 2016). In 2 017, the main destination countries of intra-African international migrants were South Africa (2.2 million), and Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Kenya (UN, 2017). The global share of African urban residents grows from 11.3% in 2010 and will be projected to 20.2% by 2050. Over the next 32 years the differences expected in urban population growth with accentuate the redistribution of the urban population that occur during the 1950 to 2018. Africa’s urban population is likely to nearly triple between 2018 and 2050.  By 2035, the annual rate of change of urban population is expected to be about 2% in developing regions including Africa and Cameroon particular 0.5% in developed regions (UN-Habitat 2013), including extremely rapidly growing urban areas in the West African Belt and Asia US Rust Belt.

As a highly urbanized African country, Cameroon has one of the highest rate of population change in sub-Sahara Africa, with 56% of the population now living in urban areas. The United Nations forecast that by 2050, 70% of Cameroon’s population will living in urban areas. Whilst it is the policy of the government of Cameroon to put a cap on the urbanization rate at 57% in 2020, to reduce demand for urban services (Fogwe, 2016). This problem of Solid Waste Management (SWM) is particularly in urban areas in the developing countries. The rapid urbanisation and increase of the urban population is exerting more pressure on the resources, thereby forcing the urban population to be involved in a lot of activities that generate waste. An increase in population comes with the need to effectively manage waste generated in a way that is beneficial to both man and the environment as a whole. Municipal solid waste accounts for nearly 5% of total global greenhouse gas emission (World Bank, 2012). Thus, implementing solid waste management programs especially in developing countries is important to ensure human health and environmental sustainability. In Cameron for example, the rate at which waste is generated is rapid due to the activities of the urban population. The rate at which rural areas generate waste is not alarming and is therefore not threatening so the focus is on urban areas. In urban areas in Cameron for example, some cities and towns are considered very dirty due to the amount of waste generated, how it is disposed and managed. This is particularly in the slump areas or ghettos.

The Bamenda I Sub-Division is one of the areas where this policy is witnessing massive growth rate, total population of stands at an approximate of 62,000 inhabitants as per financial reports of the council for 2011, 71000 in 2015 and 3500 as per village diagnosis and 21,186 as per the Bamenda Health District report (Fogwe, 2016). Even though international evidence suggest that it is almost impossible to curb increase in population through urbanization. Both trends create enormous challenges in terms of infrastructure management and local governance, as nearly 37% of the world’s urban population currently live in slums under inequitable conditions and lack access to many urban amenities like Cameroon inclusively. Population change is directly affected by urban development trend of cities and could be cause a lot undesirable environmental damage.

The ministry was created in 1990 as the ministry of Urban Affairs (MINVI) The ministry was later change after 6years through the degree N0 2005/1990/03/06/2005 from the ministry of urban affairs to the ministry of urban development and housing (MINDUH) later on, the ministry was again change to the ministry of Housing and Urban development (MINHDU) thus laying more emphasis on housing through the degree N0 2012/384/14/09/2012 till date. It should be noted that these changes came as result of poor construction of houses without any respect of town planning norms.

MINHDU as any other ministry has it central service in the capital city (Yaoundé) and has it regional delegations as well as divisional, all thanks to the process of decentralization. However, the North West region has one regional delegation and 7 divisional delegations

1.2.2. The organizational structure of MINHDU

The ministry is under the direct authority of the president of the republic of Cameroon, The minister of housing and urban development is assisted by the a sectary of state in charge of housing, the minister decent his powers to the staff members as shown below

1. The Regional Delegates
2. The Chief of Services
3. The Chief of Bureau
4. The support staff.

1.2.3. Mission and objective of MINHDU

1. The housing programs seeks to cover the needs of all the economics classes from social housing to eliminate slums to meet up with the need of the weaker segment of our emerging economy
2. The ministry creates strong and sustainable, inclusive commodities and quality affordable houses for all
3. It also has as objective to strengthen the housing market, better needs for quality affordable rented houses, and utilize housing as a pattern for improving qualities of life

1.2.4. Presentation of the difference services and their functions

1.2.4.1. The Service of Social Urban Development: This service is in charge of:  

1. The service is involve in the social development of quarters
2. The service also participate in the expropriation procedures in urban areas
3. The service in charge of sensitizing the public on the dangers of constructing on risk zones.

 1.2.4.2. The Service of Architecture and Housing: This service is in charge of:

1. The service is in charge of following up the activities of real estate developers in the region
2. The service encourages the production and use of local building materials like local breaks
3. The service is in charge of supervising auto constructions in the urban area

1.2.4.3. Service of Planning and Local Partnership: This service is in charge of:

1. Ensuring that all town planning norms are respected accordingly
2. The service works in collaboration with the council to ensure effective town planning
3. The service works in collaborations with all NGO’s involve in town planning

1.2.4.4. The Service of Urban Operations: This service is in charge of:                          

1. Development of national policies and strategies for roads constructions and maintenance incorporating inter-ministerial and inter-departmental dependencies
2. Research on the construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of urban roads network
3. Supervision and coordination of the construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of various urban roads network.

1.2.4.5. Service of Administration and Finance: The service of administration and finance has the secretariat directly under it.

1. The service is in charge of registering all outgoing and incoming documents
2. The service is the main link between the regional delegate ,the chief of service and the outside world
3. The service manages all personnel’s of the delegation.
   • The Study Area

Bamenda I Municipality is located between latitudes 5043⁰ and 43010⁰, and longitude 90⁰.’’55 East of the Greenwich Meridian, having a surface area of 110km2. Bamenda I sub-division is bounded to the west by Mbatu village, to the North by Nkwen and Mankon, to the south by Akum and Awing and the East by Ndja in Bamenda II Sub-division. Bamenda I municipality falls within the urban space of the Northwest Region. This Bamenda I council was created on the 24th of April 2007 under presidential decree No; 2007/1171 of 24 April 2007. The total population of Bamenda I stand at an approximate of 28359 inhabitants as per the Cameroon statistical reports of the council for 2005 and 10 322 764 in 2019. And 3500 as per village diagnosis and 21,186 as per the Bamenda Health District report. The urban space population is about 1808 inhabitants. It has been realized that the population increase of about 06% per annum. This is due to an increase in birth rate and a decrease in death rate by about 03%.