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IWM for Upper Mefou subcatchment

A training course on Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) was held at the Higher Teachers Training College, University Yaounde I, Cameroon, from 15th to 23rd November, 2013. The workshop was part of the IWM R&D CB-project and carried out by the partner universities and organizations.

The approach of the workshop was participative. So aside from international experts from Kenya, South Africa and Germany and members of the local university, a number of chiefs joint the workshop. Also some practitioners from local administration, ministries and the water industry attended.

The overall target of the workshop was the initialization of the formation of a Water Resource User Association (WRUA). The following targets were included:

  • Training of the participants in IWM
  • Situation analysis and a SWOT-analysis of the problems in the catchment
  • Examination of the legal framework of the water sector in Cameroon and the possibilities for a WRUA
  • Framing a WRUA in the Upper Mefou Sub-catchment
Construction of a new building in the headwater areas of the Upper Mefou Sub-catchmentDisussion during a group work sessionGroup photo of workshop participantsJoint field trip of locals, practioners and researchersOpening ceremony of the workshopPlenum session during the workshopPolution of the Mefou RiverThe Upper Mefou at Nkolbisson

The programme of the workshop included presentations during plenum sessions, joint field trips and group work:

The international experts, students involved in the project and representatives of the Minister of Energy and Water Resources (MINEE) and the Technical Assistance Unit of the water company CamWater gave presentation on their special field:

  • General introduction to IWM
  • Ecosystem Services
  • The water sector in Cameroon
  • The work of CamWater in the Upper Mefou Sub-catchment
  • Student presentations on: Soil erosion, water balance, biodiversity, water representation and flood risk

The slides of the presentations are available online for project members.

During a joint field trip in the catchment, some points of interest were visited and discussions with the local chiefs took place. Some of the problems in the catchment were observed and discussed.

Two and a half days of the workshop were reserved for group work. Four topics were discussed and data were collected. As a written outcome of the workshop, a booklet was elaborated, containing the results of the four groups:

  1. Geographical Introduction to the Upper Mefou Sub-catchment
  2. Situation analysis of the Upper Mefou Sub-catchment
  3. Institutional Set-up of the Water Sector in Cameroon
  4. Establishment of a Water Resources Users Association

Please select one of the links above to get more information on the results of the workshop.

  The booklet presenting the outcomes of the workshop can be found »here.