Coastal Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment in Cameroon
The coast is the most dynamic part of the Earth’s surface due to its strategic position at the interface of the land and the sea. It is, therefore, exposed to hazards and specific risks because of the geography as well as the geological and environmental characteristics of different countries. The c...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/1/65 |
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| author | Mesmin Tchindjang Philippes Mbevo Fendoung Casimir Kamgho |
| author_facet | Mesmin Tchindjang Philippes Mbevo Fendoung Casimir Kamgho |
| author_sort | Mesmin Tchindjang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The coast is the most dynamic part of the Earth’s surface due to its strategic position at the interface of the land and the sea. It is, therefore, exposed to hazards and specific risks because of the geography as well as the geological and environmental characteristics of different countries. The coastal environment is essentially dynamic and evolving in time and space, marked by waves, tides, and seasons; moreover, it is subjected to many marine and continental processes (forcing). This succession of events significantly influences the frequency and severity of coastal hazards. The present paper aims at describing and characterizing the hazards and vulnerabilities on the Cameroonian coast. Cameroon possesses 400 km of coastline, which is exposed to various hazards. It is important to determine the probabilities of these hazards, the associated effects, and the related vulnerabilities. In this study, in this stable intraplate setting, the methodology used was diverse and combined techniques for the study of the shore and methods for the treatment of climatic data. Also, historical data were collected during field observations and from the CRED website for all the natural hazards recorded in Cameroon. In addition, documents on climate change were consulted. Remotely sensed data, combined with GIS tools, helped to determine and assess the associated risks. A critical grid combining a severity and frequency analysis was used to better understand these hazards and the coastal vulnerabilities of Cameroon. The results show that Cameroon’s coastal margins are subject to natural processes that cause shoreline changes, including inundation, erosion, and accretion. This study identified seven primary hazard types (earthquakes, volcanism, landslides, floods, erosion, sea level rise, and black tides) affecting the Cameroonian coastline, with the erosion rate exceeding 1.15 m/year at Cape Cameroon. Coastal populations are continuously threatened by these natural or man-induced hazards, and they are periodically subjected to catastrophic disasters such as floods and landslides, as experienced in Cameroon. In addition, despite the existence of the National Contingency Plan devised by the Directorate of Civil Protection, National Risk, and Climate Change Observatories, the implementation of disaster risk reduction and mitigation strategies is suboptimal. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-70fa80d220924ecba079024343f2eec0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-70fa80d220924ecba079024343f2eec02025-01-24T13:36:44ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122025-01-011316510.3390/jmse13010065Coastal Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment in CameroonMesmin Tchindjang0Philippes Mbevo Fendoung1Casimir Kamgho2Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Ngoa Ekellé Campus, Yaoundé P.O. Box 755, CameroonGlobal Mapping and Environmental Monitoring (GMEM), Yaoundé P.O. Box 30464, CameroonFaculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Ngoa Ekellé Campus, Yaoundé P.O. Box 755, CameroonThe coast is the most dynamic part of the Earth’s surface due to its strategic position at the interface of the land and the sea. It is, therefore, exposed to hazards and specific risks because of the geography as well as the geological and environmental characteristics of different countries. The coastal environment is essentially dynamic and evolving in time and space, marked by waves, tides, and seasons; moreover, it is subjected to many marine and continental processes (forcing). This succession of events significantly influences the frequency and severity of coastal hazards. The present paper aims at describing and characterizing the hazards and vulnerabilities on the Cameroonian coast. Cameroon possesses 400 km of coastline, which is exposed to various hazards. It is important to determine the probabilities of these hazards, the associated effects, and the related vulnerabilities. In this study, in this stable intraplate setting, the methodology used was diverse and combined techniques for the study of the shore and methods for the treatment of climatic data. Also, historical data were collected during field observations and from the CRED website for all the natural hazards recorded in Cameroon. In addition, documents on climate change were consulted. Remotely sensed data, combined with GIS tools, helped to determine and assess the associated risks. A critical grid combining a severity and frequency analysis was used to better understand these hazards and the coastal vulnerabilities of Cameroon. The results show that Cameroon’s coastal margins are subject to natural processes that cause shoreline changes, including inundation, erosion, and accretion. This study identified seven primary hazard types (earthquakes, volcanism, landslides, floods, erosion, sea level rise, and black tides) affecting the Cameroonian coastline, with the erosion rate exceeding 1.15 m/year at Cape Cameroon. Coastal populations are continuously threatened by these natural or man-induced hazards, and they are periodically subjected to catastrophic disasters such as floods and landslides, as experienced in Cameroon. In addition, despite the existence of the National Contingency Plan devised by the Directorate of Civil Protection, National Risk, and Climate Change Observatories, the implementation of disaster risk reduction and mitigation strategies is suboptimal.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/1/65Camerooncoastal hazardscoastal vulnerability assessment |
| spellingShingle | Mesmin Tchindjang Philippes Mbevo Fendoung Casimir Kamgho Coastal Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment in Cameroon Journal of Marine Science and Engineering Cameroon coastal hazards coastal vulnerability assessment |
| title | Coastal Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment in Cameroon |
| title_full | Coastal Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment in Cameroon |
| title_fullStr | Coastal Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment in Cameroon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coastal Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment in Cameroon |
| title_short | Coastal Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment in Cameroon |
| title_sort | coastal hazard and vulnerability assessment in cameroon |
| topic | Cameroon coastal hazards coastal vulnerability assessment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/13/1/65 |
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