In Bamukumbit village in northwestern Cameroon, residents have traditionally depended on natural water sources. However, these springs, streams, and rivers have deteriorated and become polluted over time as a result of intensive human activities, including agriculture, deforestation, pastoralism and livestock herding. Thanks to a project implemented by the nonprofit Support Humanity Cameroon (Suhucam), these water sources are being restored. This hot, semi-arid region of Cameroon is not connected to the national water supply network. Suhucam’s coordinator, Sunday Geofrey, told Mongabay: “People farm right up to the water sources and cut down the surrounding trees. As a result, these water sources dry up during the dry season.” Additionally, local Mbororo herders’ livestock frequently enter these water sources, contaminating them with waste and increasing the community’s risk of waterborne diseases. The project area has frequently experienced food insecurity due to a mix of climatic factors and human pressures. Droughts often cause crop losses, while livestock sometimes destroy crops, leading to conflicts between local farmers and pastoralists. Suhucam is working to restore these compromised sources of water by establishing surrounding vegetation with tree species adapted to the environment, such as raffia palm, acacia and gmelina. Geofrey explains, “We started building a kind of reservoir in the water sources using local materials (stones), with integrated capture devices that allow more than 3,000 people in the communities to now access sufficient amounts of drinking water.” A similar project is being conducted in another part of the region, onin Nkambée, by the NGO Youth Development Organization.…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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