Potable Water Accessibility in the Slums of Douala IV Municipality, Cameroon

Abstract

The proliferation of slums in sub-Saharan Africa validates the need for renewed interest on access to basic services–potable water in this case. In the context of Bonaberi Douala, recent evidence on potable water accessibility is lacking, amidst rising population growth. To close this knowledge gap, this paper draws from a sample of 1115 households in 8 neighborhoods of Bonaberi to: (1) assess potable water accessibility and (2) examine the regularity of water flow. The results revealed that only 51.3% of slum dwellers have pipe water connections, while 33.4% rely on public standpipes. Furthermore, 28.4% make use of boreholes, while 46% use rainwater. About 12.5% of the population cover a distance of more than 200 m to fetch water. The pattern of water flow in several neighbourhoods is irregular; this precipitates the spread of waterborne diseases. The paper recommends that a control committee should be set aside to check water quality and reduce the spread of water-related diseases. The government and other local stakeholders should promote community water projects that can supply potable water in these slums.