Heavy rains once again plunged downtown Yaoundé into chaos on Tuesday, May 25, with the Central Post Office and Kennedy Avenue particularly affected. These major arteries of the Cameroonian capital were flooded with muddy water, disrupting traffic and causing damage to businesses.
As in previous episodes, vehicles were stranded, while pedestrians tried to make their way through the flooded streets. Kennedy Avenue, a vital commercial axis, saw many stores suffer damage, with water seeping inside and damaging merchandise.
These recurrent floods are sparking strong criticism of Yaoundé's urban management. Despite promises of modernization and improvement of urban drainage made by the town hall and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, residents find that the situation remains unchanged with each rainy season.
Luc Messi Atangana, head of the urban community of Yaoundé, had promised to improve the city's drainage system. Célestine Ketcha Courtès, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, has also mentioned projects to combat flooding. However, these initiatives are slow to materialize on the ground.
Experts point to several aggravating factors: the undersized water evacuation infrastructure, rapid urbanization, soil sealing, and the obstruction of pipes by waste. For them, large-scale structural work is needed to permanently solve the problem of flooding in Yaoundé. This work includes the creation of retention basins, the recalibration of water collectors, and a more effective fight against unsanitary conditions.
Faced with this situation, the inhabitants of Yaoundé hope for concrete and rapid measures to prevent the city center from being paralyzed again with every heavy rain. The recurrence of these floods underscores the urgency of coordinated and effective action to improve the urban management of the Cameroonian capital.
