The DAAD-financed workshop of the IWM-R&D-CB project Integrated Watershed Management for Upper Mefou Subcatchment was held in Novmber 2013 at the Higher Teachers Training College (Université de Yaoundé I) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Scientists from partner universities, Master students as well as local authorities, representatives of the Ministry of Water and Energy and the national water company CAMWATER participated in the workshop.

The aim of the workshop was to train all participants on Integrated Watershed Mangement, to assess the main problems in the catchment and to conduct a SWOT-analysis of the establishment of a Water Resource User Association in the catchment.

The workshop included presentations on IWM, lessons from the water sector reform in Kenya, student’s master’s theses, an introduction to the catchment, the water sector in Cameroon, the rehabilitation of the Mefou reservoir and ecosystem services.

A joint field trip of all participants to the Upper Mefou subcatchment showed the problems of the people in the downstream areas of the Upper Mefou—around the Mefou reservoir–as well as the challenges in the small villages in the headwater areas.

The main outcomes of the presentations, discussions and working groups during the workshop are a description and a situation analysis of the catchment, an assessment of the institutional setup of the water sector in Cameroon and ideas and recommendations for the establishment of a Water Resource User Association in the catchment.

 A »booklet—compiled by all participants during the workshop—highlights the results and recommendations.