Abstract

Human settlement conditions in many parts of the world, particularly the developing countries, are deteriorating. Natural hazards now occur right at our doorsteps and the frequency of occurrence and magnitude of damages that they cause is seen to be on an increase especially in poor urban communities.

The natural environment is deteriorating at a rate faster than the rate at which natural occurring processes and resources available within the environment can replenish. If left unabated, landslides, flooding, sporadic fire outbreaks, the collapse of major road axis, houses and bridges have the potential of plunging urban center’s into an abyss of environmental chaos.

This paper chooses Douala city-Cameroon, a rapidly expanding city in the third world as an example. The paper, therefore, assesses the overall situation of deteriorating urban quality. It was noticed that deteriorating urban quality stems from the phenomenon of rural exodus.

The situation is further exacerbated by inappropriate systems of land administration, poverty, and the overall anarchy and ignorance in the handling of environmental issues.

The paper, therefore, calls for a multidisciplinary and holistic range of approaches to solving the present-day environmental hazards of Douala. It calls for the adaptation of modern technology and the systematization of the processes of the land, especially at the state and local government levels.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Climate change has become one of the most challenging global issues facing humanity. This is a problem created by human-induced driving forces such as the combustion of fossil fuel which comes as a result of urbanization.

Urbanization which is the influx of people and industrialization of settlements first occurred in the more economically developed countries during the industrial revolution. People were attracted to urban areas (pulled) from rural areas to work in factories. They were also pushed as developments in technology led to mechanization on farms.

Nowadays, the rate of urbanization in less economically developed countries is greater than in more economically developed countries. As less developed countries are developing more people are migrating to urban areas. This urbanization comes with a lot of consequences. Most of which causes climate change has a wide range of consequences to our natural world and to settlements all around the world.

But beyond the risks and vulnerability that urban areas bring to our natural world as a result of climate change these same urban areas may play a pivotal role in the mitigation and adaptation efforts as well.

Notwithstanding, their importance, the relationship between urban centers and climate change has been relatively less explored than the areas of research on global warming. This work is based on the assumptions that to fully understand both the threat and opportunities presented by urbanization in the context of climate systems, it will be necessary to achieve a better-integrated understanding of the dynamics and interaction between urbanization and climate systems.

As we gain this understanding, we must fully explore and maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change in order to pursue a more sustainable and more resilient development path within our urban areas and across the globe

Douala is the largest city in Cameroon. Douala is the hometown to Cameroon’s largest port and its major international airport. It is a major commercial part of the country. Consequently, it handles most of the country’s export such as oil, cocoa, and coffee, timber, metals, and fruits. Most of the country’s industries are located there.

Every year 100,000 migrants settle in the city and a prospect of a further 1.5 million inhabitants in the next 15 years will take the agglomeration from a population of 2.5 million in 2012 to 4 million around 2025. The graph below shows how the population of Douala and Yaoundé has been changing over the last three decades

1.2 Statement of the problem

Douala city has seen the progressive deterioration in its environmental quality as a result of rapid and unplanned urbanization that took since the Germans colonization. There has thus been an upwards surge in the frequency of occurrence of natural hazards within the environment which if left unabated have the potential of plunging Douala into an abyss of environmental chaos due to climate change.

Landslides, flooding, sporadic fire outbreaks, the collapse of major road axis, houses, and bridges are thus on an ever-increasing high. There is thus a rising need for concrete environmental management plans that can meet the taste of the time in the short, medium, and long term for present-day Douala. At the same time, the environmental implications of urban development should be recognized and addressed in an integrated fashion by all countries, with high priority being given to the needs of the urban and rural poor, the unemployed, and the growing number of people without any source of income.

Urban centers are the most local of the human population on earth will need to pay attention. There is real evidence that Douala is becoming overpopulated as the years pass by. It is also evident that the climate of Douala is changing.

Urban dwellers and their livelihood, property, quality of life, and future prospects are threatened by the storms flooding, landslides, heat waves, and drought. Adverse effects which climate change is expected to aggravate. The large population density in Douala creates increased vulnerability however, they also create the potential for the city. Scale changes in behavior that can mitigate human impacts on climate.

Given the little that has been done by the government and city council to achieve the needed consensus, in cutting down greenhouse gas emissions, our increasingly urban world needs to adapt,

1.3 Research question

1. What is urbanization?
2. What is causing urbanization in the case of Douala?
3. What is the link between urban areas and climate change?
4. What can be done to reduce the rate of urbanization?
5. What are the impacts of climate change on the environment?
6. What can be done to reduce the impacts of climate change on the environment?