Weak links in the chain: Diagnosis of the faecal sludge management chain in Nkobikok, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

The main objectif of this article is to take stock of the faecal sludge management chain in Nkolbikok, Yaoundé (political capital of Cameroon). The paper was prepared on the basis of information collected during the implementation of the MAFADY project founded by a consortium of European and American organizations. The authors used a non technical approach to analysing the data collected out on a representative sample of households settled in this poor quarter of the town. The conceptual underpinning is the scientific management theory. The field observations, namely the photos snapped with a camera were also utilized to sustain the argument. Through a documentary analysis, the authors were able to cover the related literature and critically describe the institutional framework that governs the sanitation chain and environment in Cameroon. Implementing this methodoly led to three main findings. Firstly, the institutional framework governing the sanitation chain is inconsistent. Many institutions are implicated in the regulation of the sanitation chain, without a formal central organ in charge of coordinating them. Secondly, the Faecal Sludge (FS) is poorly managed in the households. Thirdly, haulage is inadequate and the disposal is chaotic, as a major consequence, the sludges are disposed off into the nature without treatment.

Keywords: Sanitation chain, management, Nkolbikok, Yaoundé, institutional framework.