Climate change, water availability, and the burden of rural women’s triple role in Muyuka, Cameroon

Abstract

Many rural communities in Cameroon rely on natural sources of water (rivers, springs, and rainfall) for agriculture and domestic use. Access to and reliability of water from these sources depend on changes in rainfall and temperatures. Household roles in Cameroon are traditionally defined along gender lines, with women playing key roles in food production, home management, and caregiving. Water is indispensable for women to successfully accomplish these roles. Climate variability is affecting reliability of water in Cameroon; however, impacts are not the same for men and women in rural communities. This paper examines how climate-induced water challenges adversely affect women’s ability to perform their multiple roles in a predominantly farming community in southwest Cameroon. Data collected by survey from a hundred women, supplemented by interviews with local water and agricultural technicians, suggest that climate change has contributed to the disappearance of several water sources and decreased volume of others. This hampers local water availability, compromises women’s productivity, and increases the burden on women’s triple roles as farmers, caregivers, and home managers. Although individual women are implementing some adaptation strategies, comprehensive public policy measures, including promotion of better land use management and gender-sensitive technologies, are vital to sustain efforts against climate change in Cameroon.