Ascribing the capricious weather thes is to the unprecedented july-september 2022 flood hazards in the kumba and mutengene-likomba agglomerations of the south west cameroon coastal plain of cameroon

Abstract

Recurring flood scenarios are globally, the most endemic, ubiquitous and dramatic natural hazards especially on low-lying and steep sloping areas. The area space covered by the settlements of Kumba, Mutengene and Tiko have these characteristic landscapes and flooding events common but those of July to September August to 2022 were not only record breaking but somewhat enigmatic in nature. This study sought to make an in-depth examination of probable triggers of the hydroclimatic catastrophe. The study adopted the mixed research design combining both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Primary data on the dimension of the flooding scenarios, the drivers were obtained through empirical research methods of direct and indirect field observations of affected areas. Daily, monthly and annual climatic data were sourced from NASA satellite database, and analysed to obtain temporal rainfall intensities and distribution patterns. Change detection of landcover and land uses were established through GIS analysis of satellite images between year 2000 and 2022. Impacts of the flood events were obtained through an exploratory survey of the flood impacted zones. The results revealed the principal trigger mechanism of the cataclysmic floods of July and September 2022 to be the disruption of the natural balance of the landscape linked to combined effects over the years, of intensifying high rainfall concentration within fewer months of the year, and the heightened vulnerability of the landscape due to uncontrolled land cover and land use mutations that have coerced anthropic colonisation of natural water course ways, to the extent that indigenous adaptation measures as raised foundations and sand bag embankments were dwarfed by the flood waters.Far reaching consequences registered were destruction of communication lines, infrastructural facilities, arable and pastoral farmlands and landscape spoliation by landslides. The recommends proper land use planning and improvement of drains systems as the sustainable preventive panacea to such a situation.