CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background To The Study

As was held in the landmark case of Juan Antonio Oposa v. Factoran , “the right to a healthy environment is a basic human right and lawmakers need not write it in the Constitution and the fact that it is codified underscores its importance and requirement of state compliance”

The threat to the human environment from the progressive deterioration of the biosphere has emerged as a central issue of this decade. Accelerated industrialization, rapid urbanization, the pattern of increasing consumption of natural resources, the development of modern agricultural and transportation techniques, and rising standards of living have not only contributed to modify the ecological balance on which the quality of the environment depends, but present great threats to human survival. The high rate of technological change has increased pollution above the self-cleansing capabilities of the environment.

In 2012, an estimated 9 million people died from the air, water, and land pollution. Diseases attributed to indoor and outdoor air pollution were responsible for 1 in 10 deaths worldwide in 2013, and air pollution has become the fourth risk factor for premature deaths, just behind tobacco smoking.

Pollution of oceans, coastal waters, and estuaries is an issue of great publicity. It is a serious problem that was brought to the forefront of public attention, at least in Europe, by two phenomena that occurred in the summer of 1988, a viral epidemic that killed large numbers of seals and a bloom of toxic algae in Scandinavian waters.

Pollution studies are important because man’s resources are being damaged. Industrial users of water produce large quantities of waste products and waterways provide a cheap and effective way of disposing of many of these.

As Bright puts it, “meaningful development would be difficult to achieve in development. An observation often made is that problems of pollution adversely affect the environment. Throughout history, human needs and wants have changed, and recurrent pollution usually alters and limits the opportunities for future development.

While some of these issues occur due to natural factors such as topography, some human factors also intensify the problem of pollution. Therefore, the issue of pollution is often blamed on nature and on the peasantry.

Over the years, pollution concerns have been growing in importance on the international, regional and national agenda and with good reason. Mankind is part of nature and life depends on the uninterrupted functioning of natural systems, which ensures the supply of energy and nutrients. Humans are directly dependent on ecosystems and the natural environment for their livelihood and other basic needs.

Human activities over the years have rendered futile all efforts to fight pollution. Indeed, people are often too poor to avoid degrading the environment. They have seen themselves as above nature, in control, yet unwilling to act as stewards. In practice, individuals regardless of stance will tend to be biased towards short-term gains which will benefit them all in the long run.

It is within this context that environmental laws play an essential role in the fight against pollution in Cameroon. these laws are being accompanied by laudable institutional arrangements aimed at redressing the issue of pollution. The fight against pollution can therefore be achieved inter alia by international treaties and declarations, national laws, environmental policies determining the objectives and strategies which should be used in order to fight against pollution in the country.

In this regard, Cameroon has adhered to international laws such as the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment amongst others.

At the Domestic level, laws such as the Cameroonian Constitution, the Penal Code, and the 1996 Framework Law on the Environment have been enacted and accompanied by institutional arrangements such as the Ministry of Environment for the fight Against pollution.

Despite Governments efforts to fight the ill of pollution, it still persists in Cameroon. This study therefore aims at strengthening the understanding of the measures put in place for the fight against pollution in Cameroon.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

With the political to see Cameroon becoming an emerging economy by 2035, the fight against pollution is a key development strategy. Like all creatures, humans depend on a healthy environment for their survival. Yet, recurrent pollution of the environment is human activity, which more than anything else threatens the environment and future life on earth. Conventional activities that pollute the environment destroy the very foundations and the well-being of humans and other animals.

In a bid to curb pollution in Cameroon, the Cameroonian Government has enacted various laws and put in place commendable institutional arrangements. This notwithstanding, the rate of environmental degradation is on an ever-increasing spectrum. In Cameroon, pollution is unavoidable because several industries do improper handling, discharge of waste, and toxic substances during their operation.

A logical reason for this liability lies in the fact that companies are definitely the main source of pollution, but a more important justification is the fact that they have financial resources, the technological knowledge and the institutional affluence to provide ultimate solutions.  This research is therefore predicated on the problems mentioned hitherto that hampers the fight against pollution in Cameroon.

1.3 Research Questions

1.3.1 General Research Question

To what extent are the measures put in place for the fight against pollution effective in Cameroon?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What laws have been enacted to fight against pollution in Cameroon?
2. What institutional mechanisms have been put in place for the fight against pollution in Cameroon?
3. How effective is the fight against pollution in Cameroon?
4. What policy recommendations can be made to step up the fight against pollution in Cameroon?