Environmental Education and Community Action for Access to Safe Water

Community and Location

The project will be implemented in critical communities in the Far North Region of Cameroon, including the villages of Sara-Sara (Mayo-Danay), Mazavou (Mayo-Tsanaga), and selected localities in the Diamaré and Mayo-Sava departments. These communities are particularly vulnerable to water-related crises due to frequent flooding, severe drought, and limited access to safe drinking water.

Context, Justification and Risks

Available data and my experiences in some of those areas indicate that the Far North Region is facing a major water crisis, which exposes communities to multiple risks:

• October 2024 Floods: More than 448,000 people were affected, over 56,000 houses were destroyed, and 85,000 hectares of farmland were submerged, threatening both food security and access to safe water (OCHA, 2024).

  • Risks: Displacement, injuries, loss of property and livelihoods, contamination of water sources, outbreak of waterborne diseases, and disruption of agriculture.

    
    

• Access to Safe Water: In rural areas, only 43.5% of residents have access to safe drinking water, with even lower rates in the most remote areas of the Far North Region (Carenews, 2022).

  • Risks: Chronic health issues due to consumption of unsafe water, malnutrition, conflicts over limited water resources, and social vulnerability, particularly among women and children.

    
    

• Food Insecurity: In October 2023, 10.6% of the Cameroonian population experienced acute food insecurity, with higher rates in the Far North Region (Cadre Harmonisé, 2023).

  • Risks: Malnutrition, economic hardship, population displacement, and increased community tensions. 

Project Objective

To improve access to safe drinking water and strengthen community resilience to water-related crises through environmental education and community-led action.

Some proposed participatory activities with administrative and traditional authorities, local leaders (men and women), and populations, ... include:

1. Community Mobilization:

   • Organize meetings with local leaders and residents to present the project objectives, emphasizing the urgency due to the communities’ vulnerability to water-related crises.

2. Training and Awareness-Raising:

   • Conduct educational sessions for children, youth, and adults on waste management, water conservation, and hygiene practices, tailored to the local context.

3. Cleanup Activities:

   • Coordinate community clean-up days around water sources (rivers, wells, etc.) to reduce visible waste and prevent contamination of potable water sources.

4. Waste Management Implementation strategies:

   • Establish simple, sustainable waste collection and disposal practices with the help of community volunteers.

5. Monitoring and Evaluation:

   • Conduct regular follow-ups to ensure maintenance of clean water areas, monitor water quality, and measure community participation and behavior change.

     
     

Measurable goals

By the end of the project, we aim to:

• Reduce visible waste around targeted water sources by at least 60%.

• Engage at least 100 community members, including women and youth, in ongoing clean-up and environmental education activities.

• Increase community awareness of sustainable water management and hygiene practices, particularly in the most critical villages affected by drought and flooding.