Distribution of water is the responsibility of the National Water Company of Cameroon (SNEC). Despite its efforts to provide water to the population, the supply remains lower than demand. The coverage of big urban centers need major improvement and the unfavorable geo-ecological situation of some cities and the lack of appropriate policies on the other hand has hindered the search for long-term solutions.

Phases of interventions

Cameroon authorities expressed to UN HABITAT their wish to collaborate on the second phase of “Water for African Cities” Programme (WAC). The first draft of the project document was prepared and later refined in December 2003 during a meeting on margins of the Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on water and sanitation held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

This preliminary phase highlighted the commitment of Cameroon authorities to the programme for the implementation of projects in Douala, Edéa and Yaoundé in water and sanitation with a special emphasis on the poor and less privileged..

Initial phase (October 2003- June 2004): this phase included the documentation of project ideas and meetings with water and sanitation stakeholders in Cameroon.

Preliminary phase (July 2004- May 2005): At this stage, UN-HABITAT undertook several missions to Cameroon to further assess the feasibility of some the proposals. In order to attract investments and to stimulate partnerships, UN-HABITAT collaborated with the African Development Bank. In addition, the programme document was submitted for final approval of all stakeholders at a national workshop..

Implementation phase (March 2006- December 2007): Based on the programme document, UN-HABITAT signed a Memorandum of understanding with the Government of Cameroon to officially launch the implementation of the programme the implementation phase officially began in March and will end in December 2007.

Activities

Objectives of Water for African Cities programme in Cameroon will be achieved through the following activities:

• Organizing and training private stakeholders on marketing of human consumption of water in Douala and Edéa;
• Strategize on financial mechanisms to provide access to water and sanitation , amongst the poor urban dwellers;
• Creation of innovative tools for water demand management (WDM), water quality improvement and appropriate water and sanitation technology options;
• Development of a water demand management strategy and improvement of the sanitation framework in the Douala city;
• Promotion of new sanitation technologies in urban areas; pilot project in Douala and Edéa (piloted by ENDA Tiers Monde- Enda Rup);
• Studying environmental impact on the municipal lake of Yaoundé;
• Information exchange, partnership and transfer of experiences at regional level;
• Public awareness campaigns on the social, environmental and economic impact of potable water and sanitation in Douala;
• Value-based water, sanitation and hygiene education (VBWSHE);
• Updating of monitoring indicators for the implementation of the Millenium development Goals for sustainable development on potable water and sanitation in Douala, Edéa and Yaoundé.

Planned activities 2006

The following activities are planned for 2006

• Study of the environmental impact on the Municipal lake of Yaoundé;
• Values-based water, sanitation and hygiene education (VBWSHE);
• Development of strategic implementation and monitoring systems of water and sanitation related Millennium Development Goals in Douala, Yaoundé and Edéa.

City Manager Contact
Mr. Jean Pierre Bidjocka
Director for Water Supply, WAC Focal Point
Ministry of Mines, Water and Energy
Yaoundé, Cameroon
Tel: (237) 222 1748
Fax: (237) 222 6177
Email: jeanpierrebidjocka@yahoo.fr

National Project Officer, WAC II
Mr. Parfait Nkolou

Name and Contact of Focal Officer for Gender / WAC programme
Mr. Ndjomo Florent
Sanitation technician
Yaoundé City Council
PO BOX 11710 Yaoundé, Cameroon
Email: ndomboul@yahoo.fr
Tel: 237 741 7091