Authorities in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon have called for vigilance and better urban planning to avoid future disasters following the death of four persons and the displacement of families after heavy torrential rains and floods.
Local sources told HumAngle that the heavy rainfall in Ngaoundere, the regional capital, and surrounding areas caused significant damage and forced numerous families to leave. “The floods have seriously impacted the usage of several roads in the region, and many of the roads are out of use. Several schools and markets have been closed down, and access to most areas is now impossible without assistance,” a civil society activist in Ngaoundere said.
For several days, the rainfall in Ngaoundere, the region’s main town, led to a rapid rise in water levels from a nearby lake. This surge damaged infrastructure and left residents stranded, as Valeri Norbert Kuela, the prefect of the Vina division in the area, reported.
A civil engineering expert, who examined the ravaged location, stated that the profundity of the damage shows that the way houses are constructed here is not structured. The engineer warned that something has to be done by strictly vetting building plans before approval is given for construction.
“The large number of houses which easily collapsed without much effort is evidence of the veracity of accusations that have always been levied against Council authorities, that very little real control is carried out before and during the construction of houses in the city,” he said. “I hope these deaths and damage to several houses would teach the council authorities to do their work better.”
Several displaced individuals who spoke with HumAngle revealed that bribing construction verifiers to overlook standard building regulations was harmful to them.
“Where do I start from now at my age? How long would I have to stay in someone else’s uncompleted building with my children and grandchildren? Sometimes, being ‘smart’ can be a sort of stupidity,” one local, an octogenarian, cried out. “I thought I was smart by bribing council control staff to look the other way while I bent the construction rules. Look at where I find myself today.”
Authorities in the Adamawa Region of Cameroon are urging better urban planning following destructive floods in Ngaoundere that resulted in four deaths and numerous displacements. The heavy rains have damaged infrastructure and disrupted daily life, with roads, schools, and markets affected.
Concerns have been raised about the region’s weak construction standards, with experts highlighting the lack of rigorous oversight by council authorities during building processes. Some residents admitted to bribing officials to bypass regulations, which they now regret after suffering losses when their hastily constructed homes collapsed.