Access to water: Cameroon adopts national policy to improve 29% coverage.
The Ministry of Water and Energy (Minee) and UNICEF officially launched the National Water Policy (PNE) in Yaoundé on 11 April. This strategic document, described as an essential framework for ensuring sustainable and equitable management of water resources, aims to radically transform Cameroon’s water sector by 2035.
Recent statistics paint a worrying picture. A national survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) in 2021 shows that only 29% of Cameroonian households have access to the public water supply network. Cameroon Water Utilities (Camwater), the public company responsible for the production and distribution of drinking water, admits that it loses 53% of its production due to leaks and unauthorised connections.
Alternative sources of supply dominate the landscape. According to the same data, 40% of households rely mainly on boreholes and pumped wells. This is followed by protected wells (17%), unprotected wells (14%) and protected springs (10%), the latter of which pose significant health risks.
Cameroon set itself bold targets in its Vision 2025, initially aiming for 75% access to drinking water. These targets have been revised upwards in the National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (SND30), which now calls for universal access in urban areas (100%) and 85% coverage in rural areas by 2030.
To achieve these targets, the SND30 focuses on a number of levers. In particular, it recommends the development of public-private partnerships and the use of innovative climate finance mechanisms. The accompanying investment plan calls for the mobilisation of CFAF 200 billion by the end of the decade.
The Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, acknowledges the sector’s continuing shortcomings. “Sixty years after independence, a large part of the population still does not have access to drinking water at a reasonable distance and cost”, he said. The Minister pointed to the fragmentation of sector interventions and the lack of coordination between the various actors as the main obstacles to progress.
The National Water Policy aims to provide concrete answers to these challenges. In particular, it proposes the creation of a multisectoral coordination framework to harmonise interventions. Its operational objectives include achieving a sanitation rate of 60% by 2030 and significantly reducing technical losses of Camwater.
The NCB also includes a strong environmental dimension, aiming to make water resources a lever for development while preserving aquatic ecosystems. This holistic approach, welcomed by technical partners, could mark a turning point in the management of water resources in Cameroon.
The effective implementation of this policy will depend on several key factors. The mobilisation of the planned CFAF 200 billion is the first major challenge. The real involvement of local authorities in local water management and transparency in the award of public contracts will also be tests for the authorities.
As Cameroon prepares to celebrate 65 years of independence in 2025, the success of this water policy could become an important marker of the state’s ability to meet the basic needs of its population.
