Abstract
While legislation exist to regulate urban development, there is unfortunately a wide spread disrespect of the urban environmental policies which could stem the host of challenges that could impair human wellbeing and livelihoods of the urban dwellers. This paper examines the non implementation of the urban environmental laws using the Anthropic Interference Model (AIM) which posit that human interference with the drainage channel within city environments accounts for increased flood frequencies and flood magnitudes. The study for Buea, a highland town and Limbe, a low coastal city shows that there is an incredible degree of human interference with the existing drainage systems which is the results of the urban flood hazards, the unhealthy wet environments and the urban aesthetic blight. In view of these prevailing conditions, the paper recommends a strong sensitization of the urban population on the need to respect the legislation enforced as a move toward the building of sustainable cities. Apart from the raising of public awareness, there should be a strict application of the law in which the demolition of structures that contravene the law should serve as a deterrent to future non compliance. This would be an effective measure for parting with the long standing urban environmental Laissez-faire that has plagued our Cameroonian towns.
Highlights
Urban centres have grown up in varied physical environments
This paper examines the non implementation of the urban environmental laws using the Anthropic Interference Model (AIM) which posit that human interference with the drainage channel within city environments accounts for increased flood frequencies and flood magnitudes
The objective of this paper is to examine how the non-implementation of urban environmental laws in Fako Division has remained a panacea for flood hazards, and poor and haphazard development
Summary
Urban centres have grown up in varied physical environments. Given that such varied environments have their unique environmental problems, town planning and the implementation of urban environmental policies play a key role in stemming a number of these challenges in a bid to enhance the living conditions of urban dwellers. Because of failed implementation of the urban environmental laws and the consequent emergence of urban aesthetic blight in Limbe and Buea, these emerging cities in a volcanic and humid tropical environment play host to a number of environmental problems. The paper examines the bastardisation of environmental laws with respect to urban drainage basins using the Anthropic Interference Model (AIM) which was proposed by Kometa (2005) when he examined the problem of floods in the Limbe Municipality. Limbe and Buea are fast emerging cities in Fako Division where the quest for more land for housing has come along with a systematic neglect of the urban environmental laws which relate to city drainage management systems
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have