Assessment of the Environmental impacts of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the municipality of Buea, Cameroon

Abstract

The Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon which has been ongoing for the past 9 years now has caused a lot of people to flee their homes which has resulted to a high number of internally displaced persons in the municipality of Buea. Despite efforts to salvage the situation, most humanitarian efforts have primarily been centered on providing shelter, food, and health services to IDPs with little measures taken in relation to environmental implications of this large influx of people into Buea. This study sought to verify the impact the activities and presence of IDPs have had on the environment of Buea, specifically focusing on waste production and the depletion of natural resources. By using theories related to carrying capacity, stress caused by the environment and sustainable livelihoods, a qualitative approach to collect data from the field was employed. Structured questionnaires were completed by 200 participants (100 IDPs and 100 host households) in addition to observations of happenings in the environment. Results showed that IDPs create additional problems regarding the improper disposal of waste, strong dependency on firewood that increases the pressure on forests, and a scarcity of clean drinking water. And it was concluded that environmental degradation is primarily caused by the lack of adequate infrastructure and socio-economic vulnerability experienced by IDPs when they are displaced, as opposed to the inherent behavior of IDPs.