39 / 72
39
Yaoundé is located 250 km from the Atlantic coast and lies at the edge of the Congo Forest.
Covering an area of about 300 km
2
(Nguegang 2008) Yaoundé has been the political capital
of Cameroon since 1921 and also serves as the headquarters of the Centre Region.
Ayonghe N. Samuel, Fantong Y. Wilson and Fouépé T. Alain
URBANWATERRESOURCES
MANAGEMENTCHALLENGES:
THECASEOFYAOUNDÈ
farming. In the swampy depressions semi-aquatic plants such as
raphia and palm trees are found (Boeglin and others 2003).
The relief in Yaoundé is undulating with seven outstanding hills
that rise to a maximum of 1 060 m above sea level. The city’s
average altitude is 700–800 m above sea level and the climate
is characterised by annual precipitation of 1 600 mm, average
temperature of 24°C and evaporation of 800 mm per year
(Sighomnou 2004). Yaoundé experiences four climatic regimes
– a long dry season (from mid-November to mid-March), a short
rainy season (from mid-March to mid-June), a short dry season
(from mid-June to mid-September), and a long raining season
(from mid-September to mid-November).
The geology of the city is made up of crystalline rocks
composed of granite, gneiss and schist rocks, which are highly
weathered, producing predominantly ferric and lateritic soils.
These chemically weathered soils serve as aquifers for shallow
groundwater, while fractured rocks and more extensive faulted
areas are locations for deep groundwater. Spring lines are located
at the base of slopes and in wetlands, serving as sources of water
for domestic use and subsistence agriculture during the dry
periods (Fouépé and others 2010).
The city and its environs are drained by a dense river network, which
can broadly be divided into two major drainage basins, namely the
Sanaga River to the north-west and Nyong River to the south-east.
Pipe-borne water in the city is supplied from the Nyong River from
which it is withdrawn at Mbalmayo, 45 km south-east of Yaoundé,
and conveyed by a 1 400 mm diameter pipe to the city.
Garoua
Maroua
Ngaoundéré
Buea Douala
Bafoussam
Bamenda
Ebolowa
Bertoua
Yaoundé
Lake
Chad
NIGERIA
CENTRAL
AFRICAN
REPUBLIC
CHAD
GABON
REPUBLIC OF
THE CONGO
EQUATORIAL
GUINEA
Yaoundé and its surrounding area comprise mainly of
secondary forest although much has been deforested for crop