Water Crisis and Options for Effective Water Provision in Urban and Peri-Urban Areas in Cameroon

ABSTRACT

About 58% of inhabitants of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Cameroon, have no access to potable water. The water sector in Cameroon has undergone restructuring in the wake of public-sector reforms and privatization. This article examines the extent to which privatization of water management has impacted on water crisis in peri-urban areas. It is framed within the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing by half the proportion of people without access to portable water by 2015 and on the neoliberal argument for the privatization of public goods. Primary data emanate from interviews conducted among local inhabitants and public and water authorities of five purposively selected municipalities. Findings suggest that privatization of the water sector has not improved the water problems of peri-urban inhabitants. Inhabitants are experiencing water shortages, rationing, poor coverage, and high pricing, as investments in infrastructure lag behind the rising demand for the utility. In the prevailing circumstances, public–private partnership presents a possible alternative for Cameroon.

KEYWORDS:

• Cameroon
• peri-urban
• privatization
• water crisis
• water governance