A critical assessment of disaster risk management in Cameroon

Case Study; A critical Assessment of Disaster Management in Cameroon
1
PRESENTED BY; NEWTON BEZENG
END OF COURSE PROJECT; INTRODUCTION TO DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT
WORLD BANK INSTITUTE
Case Study; A CRTICAL ASSESSMENT OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN
CAMEROON
1.0 BACK GROUND INFORMATION OF CAMEROON
In brief Cameroon historically was colonizes by two European countries Britain and
France. After the partition of Africa Cameroon was administer as two separate states
the south ruled by the British and north ruled by the French. In 1960 and 1961 French
and British Cameroons gained independence respectively, reunify 1972 to become the
republic of Cameroon.
Broadly speaking, the climate of Cameroon splits into two: (I) the tropical climate of the
north has a single; light wet season and high temperatures (averaging 30°C) which
increase in the dry regions to the far north (ii) The moderated climate of the south has
fairly constant temperatures (averaging 26°C) and two wet seasons with heavy, regular
rains influenced by the sea and land elevations.
Cameroon Climate shows that the average temperature of the coastal plain ranges from
22 degree to 29 degree C. The coastal area receives 250 to 400 cm rainfall, while the
inland area receives 150 to 250 cm rainfall. The Mount Cameroon receives 600 to 900
cm rainfall in a year. According to the climate in Cameroon the southern part has got
two dry seasons from November to March and June to August. The climate of the
northern part is comparatively comfortable. The temperature varies from 23 degree to
26 degree C. These central plateaus receive 150 cm to 60 cm rainfall a year. The dry
season of this region continues from October to March.
With the surface land size of 183,568 sq mi (475,440 km2
) Cameroon is the world's 53rd
largest country on earth. Cameroon is sometimes described as "Africa in miniature"
because it exhibits all the major climates and vegetation of the continent: mountains,
desert, rain forest, savanna grassland, and ocean coastland. Cameroon can be divided
into five geographic zones. These are distinguished by dominant physical, climatic, and
vegetative features.
Ranked by the IFC and World Bank 168 position of 189 economies in 2014, Cameroon
uses the CFA Franc as the monetary currency. Cameroon remains one of the lowest-
ranked economies on the World Bank's annual Doing Business and similar surveys and
regularly ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world. Over the last 3 years,
GDP growth has averaged around 2%-3%, which is roughly on par with population
growth but not enough to significantly reduce high poverty levels.

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The rural sector or the microeconomic sector of Cameroon plays an important role to
the development of the economy. We should not forget that is still an agricultural
economy where we depend mostly in the exportation of cash crops such coffee, cocoa,
rubber, banana, and tea.
Cameroon due its location is prone to many natural disasters looking at those that have
occurred in the last decade that is from 2004 till date; the flood of Far north of
Cameroon 2012 the most recent, Flood 2007/2008 and 2010 in Yaounde, cholera
epidemic of 2004/2010, and measles epidemic of the far north in 2008-2009
2.0 BRIEF DESSCRIPTION OF A SELECTED DISASTER EVENT
2.1 CASE STUDY: Flood in the Far North Region of Cameroon 2012;
Following heavy rains and flooding in late August and September 2012, flood
emergencies were declared in the North and Far North regions of Cameroon. The
estimated number of flood-displaced people reached 88,640 (50,824 people in the
North and 37,816 in the Far North region). Starting in mid-October, areas around the
district of Logone and Chari Department along the northern border with Chad
experienced further flooding. Water levels started to decrease in many areas in early
November. More than 30 persons were killed by the flood1
.
Continuous rainfall and the release of the Ladgo Dam caused the Benoe River to burst
its banks, which flooded neighbouring residential areas. Faro, Mayo Louti, and Benoue
areas were most hard-hit by the floods, destroying crop and rice fields thus causing
shortages of food supplies. Due to the concern of infections such as cholera and
malaria being spread through flood waters, the rescue operations more than 2,500
people were medically treated and placed into tents. More than 4,000 people in the
Logone and Shari division were displaced, and more than 22,000 people in the region of
Maga, Mayo-Danay division, were affected.
Dana FM, a local radio station, gave reports during the flood that the death toll may
grow as bodies are collected and identified as the flood lasted for weeks. The
government of Cameroon's dispatched a military contingent to the area to help and
evacuate victims, and the government of Morocco sent food and other aid Saturday. Aid
agencies like Plan International Cameroon the Red Cross and the United Nations
Population Fund were concerned about the potential spread of infectious diseases such
as cholera and malaria and food supply to avoid malnutrition for children as statistic
proved that about 3,000 people were hospitalized. In neighboring Nigeria, dozens of
dead bodies were found floating in remote areas of Adamawa state. Officials there
blamed Cameroon for not alerting them before excess water was released from the
Lagdo Dam. The disaster is being called the worst flooding in Cameroon in more than
60 years.

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3.0 AN OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Cameroon’s legislative and administrative framework for the governance of disaster risk
has been integrated into the government administrative machinery in the country.
Disaster and risk management is carried out by several agencies (government
ministries, national organs, and local government) in collaboration with scientists,
humanitarian’s organizations and international partners. The impact of natural disasters
in Cameroon continues to hit local communities hardest, but local government lack the
ability to manage disaster risks adequately that is why DRM is been handled at the
national level. This is partly due to the fact that the necessity to mainstream DRR into
local government and development practices is not yet an underlying principle in
Cameroon’s disaster management framework. Cameroon has reinvigorated efforts to
address growing disaster risks in a proactive way; it is argue that the practical actions
are more reactive than proactive in nature2
.
3.1. The Legal Firework and existing legislations
The Disaster Management System in Cameroon derives from Law No. 86-16 of 6
December 1986 to reorganize civil protection; Law No. 98-15 of 14 July 1998 relating
to establishments classified as dangerous, unhealthy or obnoxious, Decree No. 98-31
of 9 March 1998 to determine the organization of emergency and relief plans (ex post
disaster measures), Decree No.96/054 of 12 March 1996 to determine the
composition and duties of the National Council for Civil Protection, and Decree No.
2004/99 of 26 April 2004 to reorganize the Ministry of Territorial Administration and
Decentralization (MINATD). It is a “top down” hierarchical structure which puts more
emphasis on disaster response than prevention and mitigation3
.
3.1.2 National disaster management system; characteristics organizational
structure, existing legislation, policies, strategies
By virtue of this legal framework, the President of the Republic, assisted by the
National Council for Civil Protection (DPC) defines policies relating to disaster risk
management, and such policies are implemented by the Ministry of Territorial
Administration and Decentralization (MINATD), under the Department of Disaster and
Emergency Services (formally the Department for Civil Protection), and assisted by the
de-concentrated services of a series of specialized ministries. MINATD itself is
represented in the entire national territory by a network of 379 de-concentrated
structures, which are responsible for the implementation of emergency response plans.
Therefore, in the event of a disaster or grave danger, the emergency response plan is
launched by:
- the Divisional Officer at the divisional level;
- the Governor at the provincial or regional level;
- the Secretary -General of the Presidency at the national level.
The emergency plan is launched only when the competent authority (Divisional
Officer, Governor, and Secretary General) has reliable and irrefutable information on
the nature and scope of the disaster or grave danger. The competent authority takes
the following measures:

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- sends out the alert;
- promptly initiates emergency relief activities;
- informs higher authorities;
- mobilizes the necessary human, material and financial resources;
- promptly convenes the Crisis Commission;
- informs the general public.
The Crisis Commission is responsible, in particular, for:
- co-coordinating public relief action;
- directing relief operations;
- preparing rescue facilities;
- forwarding relief to the disaster area;
- determining the assistance and relief needs of victims;
- assessing the immediate and after effects of the disaster;
- managing all the human, material and financial resources provided for the
circumstance by the government authorities, public or private international
organizations and, in general, all gifts and legacies.
The overall coordination of the disaster management system lies with the Department
of the Direction de la Protection Cilvile (DPC), which is the nodal agency for disaster
management in Cameroon. The responsibilities of the DPC incorporate the key
elements of disaster risk management, including risk identification, mitigation, risk
transfer (calamity funds), preparedness, emergency response, rehabilitation and
construction. In brief, the DPC is responsible for:
-general organization of disaster and emergency services in the entire country;
-studies on disaster and emergency measures both in times of war and of peace;
-relations with national and international disaster and emergency service organizations;
-preparing training courses for disaster and emergency services staff, in conjunction
with the Department of Human Resources of MINATD;
-examining requests for compensation and financial assistance from disaster victims;
-controlling the use of aid;
-coordinating resources deployed for disaster and emergency services, notably relief,
rescue, logistics, use of back-up and auxiliary forces;
-transporting bodies;
-monitoring the management of aid4
.
4.0 POWER RESPONSIBILITIES AND LIABILITIES DISTRIBUTION (centralized,
decentralized, hierarchical, bottom up, top down, coercive corporative)
4.1 The Intervention Strategy
4.1.1. Before disasters: it promotes disaster prevention/mitigation mainly through
information, awareness-raising, sensitization and education. Activities relating to
prevention, mitigation and preparedness include:
-The organization of the National Day for Civil Protection on 01 March each year and
the organization of the International Day for Disaster Reduction on 09 October in the
Headquarters of the 58 Divisions in Cameroon each year. Both events are marked by
speeches and the dissemination of messages relating to disaster prevention,
mitigation and preparedness, and the formation of networks of civil protection

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communicators;
-The institution of a service in the DPC, to work during weekends and public holidays,
with the objective of collecting, analysing, disseminating and storing information on
disasters/risks that may occur during weekends and public holidays;
-The publication of a Report on the State of Civil Protection in Cameroon, which
incorporates guidelines for disaster risk management for administrative officials;
-The completion of sectoral disaster Contingency Plans for Cameroon;
-Conduct a national workshop for the participatory identification of the requirements for
the set up of a National Observatory for Disaster Risk Prevention and the National
Programme for the Prevention and Management of Disasters (notably in collaboration
with UNDP) in Cameroon;
4.1.2. During disasters: implementation of emergency response programmes
(Sectoral Contingency Plans) for efficient and effective disaster management. Activities
include the on-the-spot coordination of emergency responses, search and rescue
operations.
4.1.3. After disasters: performing activities relating to compensation,
rehabilitation and reconstruction, in particular:
5.0 DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN CAMEROON (with the involvement of public &
private sectors NGOs communities) MITIGATING RISK, TRANSFER,
PREPAREDNESS.
5.1 The institutions and actors in disaster risk management in Cameroon include:
-Emergency and Disaster management in Cameroon is the responsibility of the Ministry
of Territorial Administration and Decentralization (MINATD) through, The Department of
Civil Protection and The National Risks Observatory (DPC)
-Other actors: The national fire brigade, the national police force, The Red Cross
organization, The Non Governmental Organisations, The Emergency Health Service,
The military contingent.
5.1.1. The Ministries/organs involved in disaster management in Cameroon
-The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation (MINATD, which
is responsible for the coordination of disaster management;
-The Ministry of Defense, which is often called upon to provide forces for search
and rescue operations;
-The Ministry of Public Health, which is responsible for the provision of drugs for
disaster victims;
-The Ministry of Town Planning and Housing, which is responsible for the
implementation of town planning, land use regulations and building codes;
-The Ministry of Transports, which is responsible for the implementation of
safety campaigns in the transportation sector;
-The Ministry of Social Affairs contributes to the rehabilitation of disaster victims;
-The Ministry of Scientific and Technical Research and its Research Institutions
are responsible for the conduct of research on disaster risk and the installation of
early warning systems;
-Though the role of local authorities is not very explicit in the legislation, they have

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been instrumental in prevention and mitigation, because they are closest to the
communities and have good knowledge of local context and realities. Therefore there
are the first to give first information to the local administrative authority of the MINADT
representative in their locality.
-Other Ministries that are the members of the National Council for Civil Protection
5.1.2. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society
The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are prominent in the provision of
humanitarian assistance and conduct of disaster prevention training programmes
in Cameroon; The collaboration and support of UNDP have been crucial in the
conduct of two national workshops on the participatory identification of the
requirements for the set up of a National Observatory for Disaster Risk
Prevention; the provision of technical expertise for the preparation of the National
Programme for the Prevention and Management of Disasters in Cameroon; and
the publication of a document on the State of Civil Protection in Cameroon.
-Civil societies get involve in DRM and DRR as stakeholders they align their
endeavours, contribution and participation with aid that they receive from donor
organizations and private companies involve in developmental process through
corporate social responsibility obligations.
-Private sector involvement to DRM and DRR is most at times solely as a form of
corporate social responsible and requirement for their operation
The financing of this system is borne by the relief and calamity funds of the DPC and
international assistance. The interaction of all these actors has been presented in the
structure of disaster management in Cameroon
6.0 STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES OF THE IN LIGHT OF THE CATASTROPHIC
EVENT (The flood of Far North Cameroon 2012)
6.1. THE STRENGTHS OF THE ABOVE SYSTEM
-Though the Direction de la Protection Civille (DPC) was initially set up to response to
disasters risks, it is gradually shifting to, and placing more emphasis on proactive
disaster management (disaster related capacity enhancement, prevention and
mitigation), notably following the reforms of MINATD. The DPC is also the formalised
coordination agency for disaster management in Cameroon. The system is built on a
disaster strategy that covers prevention, mitigation preparedness, emergency response,
rehabilitation and reconstruction;
-The DPC, as the nodal disaster management agency, has full time paid workers,
some of which are scheduled to work even during weekends and public holidays,
should a disaster occur during such periods;
-The system is linked to the research institutions of the Ministry of Scientific and
Technical Research, enabling government to benefit from advice in land use planning
and mapping of risk prone areas;
-The collaboration between public private and the plural sectors in DRM/DRR from top
to bottom in Cameroon gives a plus to the system. Moreover, the Central Government
has implicitly acknowledged that key players should be assigned specific duties so
that they could be held accountable for action or inaction.

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6.2. WEAKNESSES OF THE ABOVE SYSTEM
-The role of the Ministry of Finance and the Budget (though it is a member of the
National Council for Civil Protection) in ensuring that crucial financial resources are
budgeted by all the ministries involved in disaster management is not evident in the
above system;
-The keeping of historical records, in the DPC, relating to DRM/MRR is poor, and the
information on disasters is often incomplete, especially in terms statistics.
-The DPC finds it difficult to implement structural and non-structural mitigation
measures at the local level, especially as the role of local governments is not well
defined in existing pieces of legislation; and though they are closest to the people and
may have a good knowledge of local realities;
-The insurance system is very under-developed implying that government bears the
brunt of rehabilitation and reconstructions, because private sector involvement in risk
transfer is limited. Moreover, the roles of NGOs, CBOs and the private sector are not
indicated in the existing legislation.
-This system lays more emphasis on ex post measures rather ex ante measures
(prevention and mitigation). Local crisis commissions are set up and activated during
disasters risks; and disbanded when the disaster risk is over, and their roles are
limited to disaster risk response (ex post); moreover, Crisis commissions can only be
set up by decision of the regional Governor at the regional level and by decision of
the Divisional Officer at divisional level. The setting up of these Crisis commissions
poses a problem when any of the competent authorities is not available or is
preoccupied by other official matters; or when a disaster risk occurs during the
weekend. This was the case with the Mount Cameroon eruption in 2000, which
occurred when the Governor of the South West Region was on an official tour to the
Lebialem Division, and therefore was unable to set up the Regional Crisis
Commission in time
-Financial resources for the implementation of this system come from the calamity
budgetary head of the DPC. Often these resources are not disbursed in time; though it
is common knowledge that the first 24 hours following a disaster are critical for search
and rescue operations.
-Politics pose’s a short coming in DRM/DRR in Cameroon as politicians use a disaster
event for their political campaign. Take the case of the flood of September 2012 which
occurred at the verge of the twin parliamentary and senate elections. The disaster
affected area became a political campaign ground for politicians.
-Corrupt practice is usual during implementation of the budget and gift donation to the
affected community. Take for example mount Cameroon volcanic eruption of 1999
money was disburse to compensate house affected by earth tremor up till today there
are some victims who have not received their compensation packages.
7.0 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT
-The identification of short, medium and long term actions to be taken; the
establishment of clear processes and procedures for decision making for disasters
management to avoid overlap the responsibilities.
-The indiscriminate building of houses in disaster prone in violation of town planning
rules and regulations should be checked and if possible such houses should be
demolished.

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-The drainage system of cities and towns should be constructed taking into
consideration the ease of maintenance and the possible future extension of the town
and the drainage system itself; there is also the need for the regular cleaning of
clogged water ways to avoid future floods.
-Measures should be taken to increase the vegetation cover in the city especially
around steep hilly sides, as this helps to reduce the speed of run-off water after rainfall
-Government should set up permanent local emergency relief teams that can
be activated in the event of a disaster;
-The post DRM system should privatize to the private sector. I believe
compensation and reconstruction can be well handled by insurers
-Technical and professional training should be given to DRM/DRR participants
from the community level to national level
-The DPC should produce a detailed hazard-risk map of the country and highlight the
disaster risks in each local government area
-Involvement of CBOs and communities is necessary
Sources;
1
http://reliefweb.int/disaster/fl-2012-000157-cmr
2
Bang, H.N., 2013, ‘Governance of disaster risk reduction in Cameroon: The need to empower
local government’, Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies 5(2), Art. #77, 10 pages.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ jamba.v5i2.77
3
Decree No. 2004/320 of 08 December 2004 placed civil protection as the second most
important function of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Rapport sur
L’etat de la Protection Civil au Cameroon en 2002. Yaounde; MINAT?DPC,2003
4
An End-of-Course Case Study Submitted to the Department of City Management and Urban
Development of the World Bank Institute in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award
of a Certificate in Natural Disaster Risk Management BY ELIAS NDIFOR AYANJI Trainer Local
Government Training Centre (CEFAM), Buea.
http://minatd.cm/dpc/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4%3Aplanlocal&catid=29
%3Aaccueil&lang=en
A Critical Assessment of the N+atural Disaster Risk frame work in Cameroon by; Elias Ndifor
Ayanji; Source; info.worldbank.org/etools/docs/.../Ayanji%20-%20final%20project.pdf
Abbreviations
(DPC); Direction de la Protection Cilvile
MINATD; Ministry of territorial Administration and Decentralisation
DRM; Disaster Risk management
DRR; Disaster Risk Reduction

A critical assessment of disaster risk management in Cameroon

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A critical assessment of disaster risk management in Cameroon