TITLE:
The Legal Aspect of Waste Management in Cameroon with Focus on the Buea Municipality
AUTHORS:
Eike Albrecht, Agbortoko M. Ayuk Nkem, Enow Ernest
KEYWORDS:
Waste Management, Legal, Buea Municipality, Sustainability, Environment
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.10 No.8,
August
10,
2022
ABSTRACT: Waste production remains an inevitable part of human activity on earth.
The history of waste reveals that high levels of urbanisation, sustained urban
growth and increasing residential neighbourhoods remain commensurate to poor
sanitation and quality of life if proper measures are not taken. This paper
therefore examines the legal practices involved in waste management and to
understand the challenges faced as well as propose solutions towards an
improved waste management system. The work constitutes mainly
secondary source data that includes the existing laws on waste management in
Cameroon and other documents relating to waste from different ministries. The
residents of Buea and workers of the waste management company were interviewed
to get their views on waste management in Buea. Also, field observations were
made to compare results with field realities. The collected data was analysed
using the content analysis and descriptive techniques. Results obtained proved
that there exist well stated laws for waste management in Cameroon. However, there is poor implementation of
the existing laws with evidence of waste littering within neighbourhoods
and along the streets. This study concludes that there should be proper
sensitization of the public about existing laws and to strengthen the waste
management process with use of the laws. An
all-integrated approach with active community participation was recommended
as a way out towards sustainable waste management in Buea.