Disaster Management : Measures Put In Place, Limitations Observed

Authorities are on the constant lookout to prevent disasters. This is due to the far reaching consequences on the economy following the outbreak of a disaster. Some unfortunate tragedies that have occurred in Cameroon include the Monoun Lake toxic gas leak in 1984, explosion of Lake Nyos in 1986, the volcanic eruptions of Mount Cameroon, Nsam disaster in 1998, the Eseka railway accident in 2016 and some devastating floods as well as deadly landslides. Such disasters have negative consequences including loss of lives and displacements, material damages (deterioration of roads and other infrastructure) and disrupts economic activities which can sometimes cause famine. Government has always prioritised the security of persons and their properties, reason counter mechanisms are being implemented by authorities.

Civil Protection Department 
The Ministry of Territorial Administration (through the Department of Civil Protection) is the institution that oversees the management of disasters in Cameroon. As concerns preventing natural disasters, the Ministry of Territorial Administration uses the climate bulletins of the National Observatory for Climate Change and those of the national meteorological services to forecast the occurrences of violent winds, tornadoes, landslides, earthquakes or heavy rains.  The analysed data is communicated to administrative authorities for the implementation of anticipatory measures. For those resulting due to human action, administrative authorities are regularly instructed to carry out sensitisation amongst the population on the dangers of risky behaviour such as uncontrolled construction and settlement in marshy areas or on mountainsides. Decentralised local authorities like Mayors embark on the constant demolition of such structures for the safety of those who might want to settle therein. Awareness is also raised on proper waste management by the population, by not dumping them into drainage systems and other water ways.
Administrative tolerance is a limitation. The time taken before the demolition of a poorly constructed building encourages others to follow the bandwagon.  Sometimes, it takes years after an evacuation notice has been issued for actions to be taken. In most cases, it is the occurrence of a disaster that pushes people to leave. Some Mayors also note that their Councils do not have adequate equipment for the demolition of buildings. 

National Observatory For Disasters
Created some three decades ago, it is the organ responsible for the identification of disaster prone areas and taking appropriate measures to that effect. In concrete terms, there exist to reinforce Cameroon’s organisational and administrative response to disasters. Their role is to mitigate disasters in Cameroon by strengthening risk preventi...