Pollution and Siltation of Rivers in the Western Highlands of Cameroon: a Consequence of Farmland Erosion by Runoff

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Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  21st Century Watershed Technology Conference and Workshop Improving Water Quality and the Environment Conference Proceedings, 3-6 November 2014, University of Waikato, New Zealand  -.(doi:10.13031/wtcw.2014-012)
Authors:   Djoukeng Henri Grisseur, Tankou Christopher Mubeteneh, Degré Aurore
Keywords:   Pollution, siltation, watershed Méloh, water, Cameroon

Abstract. Water is one of the most important natural resources in maintaining the balance of global ecosystems. Water is the engine of life but she can also devastate. Subject of controversy, lusts, strategic issues, water is currently raising awareness of the need to preserve this precious commodity which directly affects food security, socioeconomic development and health. Sustainable management and protection of water resources must then involve all social strata. In one community, water is the source of life, source of peace, source of development, but it can also be a main source of conflict and instability. The western highlands of Cameroon are an agro-ecological zone of high population density and rapid population growth. In this area where land tenure is quite complex, farmers cultivate steep slopes (> 25%) for the production of vegetable crops. In order to facilitate the turning of the land, these farmers prepare seedbeds flat or forming ridges along the steepest slope, two methods of land preparation that do not include any measure of water conservation. With these methods of land preparation favouring runoff, pesticides and fertilizers applied in cultivated plots are transported by runoff or transfer of sediments to rivers; this transfer negatively affects an agricultural function which is environmental protection therefore water. To establish liability of agricultural practices in pollution and siltation of rivers, we studied a section of the main river of Méloh watershed whose width varies between 2 and 3.5m on a twisty length of 300m. This study showed that tied ridging reduced siltation of rivers by 72%; so this is an effective technique to fight against water pollution in mountain agriculture.

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