Fai Cassian Ndi
The 2015 World Water Day will be celebrated on April 21 amidst
water scarcity in Cameroon. The
situation in cities like Yaounde, Bamenda, Maroua and Douala is very pathetic
given the growing population. In Bamenda for example, water is being ration by
the Army Rescue Unit.
Indicators are rife at that access to potable water has reached
crisis level. In some localities, the population goes for weeks and even months
without potable water. If water as they say is life, Cameroon may perhaps
eventually be lifeless. This is so due to the scarcity of water. Since November
2013, access to potable water has remained a major problem. This wobbly
situation is having diversified interpretations. Environmentalists are of the
opinion that the scarcity of water has been orchestrated by the changing
climate while some development experts on the other hand say it is due to human
activities around water catchments. Yet traditionalists on their part are
convinced that the gods are angry. It is common to see a traditional ruler
pouring libation at a stream calling on the gods to bring back water. The
situation is such that taps regularly run dry; some small springs have dried
off while others have lost their sizes. Water has been tagged as a rare
commodity given that to access to potable water is as complicated as a journey
to Mars. Access to water is a major predicament and gradually it has reached a
crisis level.
To cut the story short,
indicators are rife that more than 92% of the water catchments are drying off
due to human activities. Some streams have even dried off completely. It
is common to see children digging around water catchments to find water. Uncertainty looms large as it is feared that
this could lead to an outbreak of cholera or increasing water borne diseases.
Of late, it has been observed that the number of typhoid cases in major cities
in the country have increased geometrically. The outbreak of cholera in the
North part of Cameroon was even linked to the scary water situation. In rural
areas, families and cattle scramble for water in the same stream while farmers
on the other hand have been complaining that weather patterns have changed and
it is resulting to poor crop yields. Yet the same farmers hardly keep to the
instructions of avoiding “slatch and burnt” commonly known as “ankara”
in their farms. Cattle grazers on the other hand constantly set the small
patches of forest and bushes around watersheds, catchments and wetlands on fire
to get fresh grass for their cattle.
How Heartless CPDM MPs
Denied Cameroonians Water
Hon. Awudu Mbaya, Questor at the
National Assembly and Executive President of Pan African Parliamentarians
Network on Climate Change has broken records at the National Assembly of
Cameroon. Of late, he entered into record as the first ever Member of
Parliament whose PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILL was rated admissible by the Chairman’s
conference. But since in Cameroon, MPs care little about those who elect them,
the foolish majority of the CPDM decided to set the bill aside.
Hon. Lifaka, one of the Vice Presidents
and CPDM argued that Hon. Awudu did not consult other political parties and
that they (Parliamentarians) will have to wait for the Paris Conference on
Climate Change to see whether the MPs will add or subtract some sections of the
bill. This decision by the foolish majority in Cameroon Parliament has sparked
widespread criticisms from the media and civil society. Here below is the
Proposed Bill by Hon. Awudu Mbaya to protect water catchments, watersheds and
wetlands in Cameroon.
PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BILL No 068... /PJL/AN
To lay down Rules Governing the Protection and Preservation of
Water Catchment Areas, Watersheds and Wetlands in Cameroon
Presented by
Hon. AWUDU MBAYA Cyprian
And
Members of the SDF Parliamentary Group
EXPLANATORY
STATEMENT
Private Members’ Bill
No. 068.../PJL/AN to lay down Rules Governing the Protection and Preservation
of Water Catchment Areas, Watersheds, and Wetlands in Cameroon.
Water catchment areas, watersheds and wetlands are an important
source of life and are undeniably endowed with natural resources. They
contribute to the health and the general wellbeing of Cameroonians throughout
the national territory.
In fact, Cameroon's economy partially relies on biodiversity for
improved productivity. Such is true for electrical energy, agriculture,
industry, manufacturing products (textiles, cosmetics), and the transportation
of people and goods by sea. Considering the ongoing population growth in the
world in general and Cameroon in particular and the obsolescence of current
legislation, the protection and preservation of the earth’s surface is of
paramount importance.
The objective of this Private Members’ bill is threefold:
- to enhance the protection and preservation of
water catchment areas, watersheds, and wetlands;
- to reaffirm the importance of the said natural
resources;
- to encourage individuals, communities,
businesses, NGOs, other organizations and countries to become more involved in
such activities and to preserve the said areas.
In addition, pollution and the destruction of such natural
resources that are vital to human and animal life have a significant impact on
climate change. In this respect, a specific and strict regulation must be
implemented by all stakeholders.
This Private Members’ bill which has five chapters of 14
sections, seeks to establish a regime of water catchment areas, watersheds and
wetlands through the general provisions (Sections 1-2); destructive and harmful
activities to such areas (Sections 3-5); the supervisory authority (Sections
6-7); management and exploitation (Sections 8-9, obligations and penalties
(Sections 10 - 13) and final provisions (Section 14).
The adoption of this bill by the Nation’s Representatives shall give Cameroonians access to water on a permanent basis and pave the way for a sustainable progress in their development endeavour.
The adoption of this bill by the Nation’s Representatives shall give Cameroonians access to water on a permanent basis and pave the way for a sustainable progress in their development endeavour.
Such is the purport of this Private Members’ Bill tabled before
Parliament for consideration.
CHAPTER 1
Regime
of wetlands
SECTION
1:- (1) The purport of
this law is to lay down rules governing the protection, preservation and
management of water catchment areas, watersheds and wetlands in Cameroon.
(2)
This law shall apply in all water catchment areas, watersheds and wetlands in
Cameroon.
(3)
Such areas and wetlands shall be part of the national heritage.
SECTION
2:- The following
definitions shall apply within the context of this law and its enabling
instruments:
- Catchment area: area where water is
collected
- Wetlands: area soaked by water
- Swamp: uncultivated wetland where marsh extends to
- Marsh: nape of standing water covering land partially invaded by
vegetation
- Pond: less extensive body of water not as deep as a
lake
- Backwater: the dead arm of a river
- Salt marsh: pool dug near the coast to extract salt from
seawater by evaporation (saliva)
- Basin: territory watered by a river and its tributaries
CHAPTER II
DESTRUCTIVE
OR HARMFUL ACTIVITIES TO SUCH AREAS
SECTION
3:- Within the framework of this Law, the
following shall be considered destructive or harmful activities:
- illegal or illicit exploitation of areas
referred to in this Private Members’ bill;
- abusive and uncontrolled exploitation of
natural resources, fishes and animals found in the said areas;
- spoliation;
- dumping of wastes and toxic products.
SECTION
4:- Notwithstanding the cases referred
to under Section 3 above, any other activity prejudicial to wetlands and
watersheds shall be prohibited.
ARTICLE
5:- The use of heavy industrial
equipment that can cause damage to property and the environment in areas
governed by this law shall also be prohibited.
CHAPTER
III
THE
SUPERVISORY AUTHORITY
SECTION 6:- (1)
The Minister of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable
Development shall determine the objectives of the State relating to the
protection and preservation of areas and wetlands governed by this Law.
(2)
He may also determine the said objectives together with other ministries whose
assistance is deemed necessary.
SECTION
7:- Catchment areas and watersheds,
contours, boundaries and geographical areas of the wetlands shall be set and
approved by the authority referred to under Section 6 (1) above.
CHAPTER
IV
MANAGEMENT
AND EXPLOITATION
SECTION
8:- (1) The management of water catchment areas,
watersheds and wetlands throughout the national territory shall be the
responsibility of the Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and
Sustainable Development.
(2)
The powers defined under sub Section 1 above may be delegated within the
framework of decentralization.
(3)
The modalities for the delegation of powers referred to under sub Section 2
above shall be defined by regulation.
SECTION
9:- (1) The exploitation
of catchment areas, watersheds and wetlands shall devolve on public and private
corporations on the one hand and economic operators who find it beneficial on
the other hand.
(2)
Notwithstanding the regime and nature of exploitation, the latter shall be
subject to the payment of an annual fee of 2.5% to 5% in accordance with the
turnover declared.
CHAPTER
V
OBLIGATIONS
AND PENALTIES
SECTION
10:- (1) Within the framework of this
law, operators in catchment areas, watersheds and wetlands must respect
substantive obligations.
(2) The
obligations referred to in sub Section 1 above shall be respected through the
following public utility activities:
a) planting of trees;
b) irrigating wet
surfaces;
c) draining marshy
areas,
d) protecting and
preserving rare species found in such areas;
e) respecting the
provisions of Sections 3, 4 and 5 herein above.
SECTION
11:- Offences committed by managers and
operators in catchment areas, watersheds and wetlands shall be liable to
penalties whose amount shall be fixed by regulation.
SECTION
12:- Notwithstanding the penalties referred
to under Section 11 above, criminal charges may be brought against the offenders.
SECTION
13:- (1) The amounts fixed as penalties
for offences likely to cause prejudice to the State, beneficiaries, managers
and operators of water catchment areas, watersheds and wetlands shall depend on
their degree of seriousness.
(2)
The amounts referred to under sub Section 1 above shall be determined in
accordance with the provisions of Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Law as follows:
a)
25 000 (twenty five thousand) francs CFA per day for minor offences with effect
from the day the offence was reported;
b)
50.000 (fifty thousand francs) CFA per day for any misdemeanour with effect
from the day such misdemeanour was reported;
c)
500 000 (five hundred thousand francs) CFA per day with effect from the
day all felonies resulting from collusion are reported.
CHAPTER
VI
FINAL
PROVISIONS
SECTION
14:- This law shall be registered, published
according to the procedure of urgency and inserted in the Official Gazette in
English and French.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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