GENERAL INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND HISTORY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Many countries in the world have been focused on water security agenda as one of their
national strategic securities agenda. One of the most urgent topics facing humanity in the
21st Century, water security affects people‟s lives, property, and ecology. As one of the basic
materials in human existence, the purpose of water is to support the development of human
health, economic activities, and cultural lives (Mallongi A et al 2017). In the last decade,
human society faced serious water problems such as water scarcity, water pollution, and
especially water damage caused by floods. Lack of water security will impact individual,
cities, countries, regions, and the globe, 80% of the world‟s population will be threatened by
serious problem.
Water security has emerged on the global stage over the last two decades. It is widely
discussed in a broad range of fora from the academic literature (GWP, 2000; Grey and
Sadoff, 2007; Lautze and Manthrithilake, 2012; Hall and Borgomeo, 2013; Lankford et al.,
2013; Sadoff et al., 2015) to UN Security Council (2017). The shortest definition of water
security is “a tolerable level of water-related risk to society” (Grey et al., 2013). The most
comprehensive and frequently quoted definition of water security, proposed by UN-Water
(2013) describes it as “The capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to
adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being,
and socioeconomic development, for ensuring protection against waterborne pollution and
water related disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political
stability”.

UNESCO, (2019); and ADB, 2020) reflects on the multi-dimensional nature of water
security. It can be argued that water security now underpins the global development Agenda
2030, including all targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 and other water-related
targets in the SDG continuum. This connection highlights the importance of water security in
global water discourse and development. Over the past decade, the issue of water security
has become a source of growing concern in Canada. Well-publicized water contamination
incidents in Kashechewan (Ontario), Walkerton (Ontario), and North Battle ford
(Saskatchewan) were among the first to alert Canadians to public health issues related to
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water quality. Federal reports on increased threats to water issued by the National Water
Resources Institute (NWRI) and the Senate also attracted considerable attention to the issue.
Exacerbating these issues are limited infrastructure and the vulnerabilities associated with the
leaching of contaminants to groundwater. As a result, First Nations communities throughout
Canada have, on the whole, significantly less access to potable water and direct piping to
treatment plants (Phare 2009)

In developing countries, an estimated 1 billion people lack access to safe affordable drinking
water, 2.7 billion lack access to sufficient sanitation, and millions die each year from the
preventable water-borne disease (Mallongi A et al2017). Presently, guaranteeing the supply
of adequate water to the world‟s population from an absolutely finite source is seen as a
significant challenge (Harris, 2012). This is due to the fact that only one percent of the
world‟s total water is fresh and drinkable and is poorly managed (Harris, 2012). Though
population growth is a key factor affecting water scarcity, improving living standards,
urbanization and supply variability due to climate change also add pressure on water security
especially in different parts of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa (Kumudu et al.,
2015). It is estimated that the Earth„s fresh water together as a single mass would measure
some 1,386 million km3 in volume (Williams, 2014).
The UN MDG report of 2015 on water, indicates that 97% of the world„s population now
uses improve potable water sources and of this, 2.6 billion people have gained access to
improved sources of potable water since 1990, 1.9 billion people now use piped water on
premises and 147 countries met the MDG target on potable water. Sub-Saharan Africa has
the greatest number of people without access to improve potable water, of which 80% of
these people live within the remote areas. Water stress is another feature which is gradually
becoming a problem in different parts of the world today especially in Asia and Africa. This
is partly due to climate change, increasing water scarcity, population growth, demographic
changes and urbanization (UN, 2014). This call for concern for safe drinking water is as a
result of the high rate of diseases that is 75% of all diseases are related to the poor water
quality.

Potable water coverage and sanitation levels in Sub-Saharan Africa are lowest than any other
region of the world; In 2010, Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 6 of the top 10 countries in
the world with the largest population without access to improve drinking water sources
(Folifac et al, 2014). Water stress is becoming a serious problem in sub-Sahara Africa,
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particularly in Cameroon, where barely 44% of the total population have access to adequate
potable water (NIS, 2011; Folifac et al, 2014). AMCOW, (2015),states that 82% of the
population living in urban centers have access to safe drinking water however the rural areas
lag behind with about 45% in 2007 of the population living without access to potable water.
Under ground water remains the most reliable source of fresh water for the population of
Bamenda particularly communities like Sisa, Ndankwen, even though traces of nitrate
contamination have been observed (Ako et al., 2013).These sources are facing challenges
such as coordination and multiple often competing uses for the resource in a way that balance
environmental concerns and socio-economic demands. (Kragt, 2013). The provision of
potable water to the population lies greatly on the water supply system in place. Water supply
systems are infrastructures that involve collecting water from its source, treating, storing and
finally distributing it to consumers. This water has to be of good quality and quantity in order
to satisfy the need of the population.

The steady increase in the population of Bamenda I and the rapid urbanization coupled with
climatic variability factors are the main causes of the water stress existing in Bamenda I
which has been compounded further by the management system. Due to the failure during the
conception of the project in integrating population dynamics into the system is the
fundamental cause to water stress. The characteristics of water insecurity issues can be seen
from the long queue at public taps with containers of all sizes and from other businesses that
deals with the commercialization of water and finally the long distance travelled by the
population in search of water from different quarters and streams. This study aims to
highlight the existing relationship between the population, management practices and
resource in determining the principal cause of water insecurity. Thus, this study investigates
the availability of the water resources, its characteristics and quality and finally the current
population dynamics. Cameroon is the second country in Africa (after the Democratic
Republic of Congo) in terms of quantity of water resources, estimated to be three times the
world„s average (7,000 m3), but the access to water still remains a scarce resource because of
inadequate management practice (Mafany et al, 2006).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Achieving water resources security in Bamenda I municipality has remained a daunting
challenge for stakeholders in the water sector. Accessibility to potable water in the Bamenda
I municipality is a course for concern given that the population relies mainly on springs, wells and boreholes and few public taps for the supply of potable water in most areas in the
municipality. Springs and wells which are more commonly used are however more
vulnerable to some management challenges such as climate change.
The Bamenda I population seem to rely more on CAMWATER for drinking and household in
general but water supply is sufficiency during the dry season seems difficult. People who
have the finances will go for home made forages and at times maintaining and treating this
water to be secured for consumption is not fully guaranteed. The vulnerability of water
supply means that springs and wells are increasingly drying up earlier in the dry season than
expected. In addition, floods with increasing frequency are damaging or polluting water
supply systems.
There seem to be insufficiency in financing the development of water resources, as most of
the investments have been from external sources. Due to the financial gap required to meet
the goals of the government in Bamenda I municipality, more needs to be done to mobilize
additional resources especially from indigenous sources. The rural Council is not involved in
the management of the structure making it difficult for a proper maintenance of the system.
The rapid rates of urbanization is also seen as a major constraint to the management of these
water resources since population increase at a geometric rate there by increasing pressure on
the available water resources over time. This is seen in the fact that many stakeholders
involved in the sector are not well coordinated leading to duplication of efforts, and
inefficient use of existing limited resources.

1.3 The research questions
1.3.1 The main research question
What are the manifestations of water security dynamics in Bamenda I Municipality?
1.3.2 Specific research questions.
 What are the various sources of water in Bamenda I?
 What are the indicators of water security dynamics in Bamenda I
 What measures are put in place to ensure water security in Bamenda I Municipality?
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1.4 Objectives of the Research
1.4.1 Main Objective
The main objective of the study is to investigate water security dynamics in Bamenda I
municipality
1.4.2 Specific Research Objective

 To identify the various sources of water in Bamenda I
 To analyze the indicators of water security dynamic in Bamenda I municipality
 To examine the various measures put in place to secure water in Bamenda I.