The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has warned residents of Bamenda against construction in flood prone areas and the obstruction of drainage systems, following recent flooding that disrupted activities, damaged property and infrastructure and exposed residents to serious risks.
The warning is contained in a press release issued on 17 August 2026 by Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Madame Célestine KETCHA Epse COURTES, following what the ministry described as exceptional rainfall in the North West Region.
The release was communicated locally by Njosi John Paul, Regional Delegate of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development for the North West, amid renewed concerns over the vulnerability of Bamenda to flooding.
According to the Minister, the recent floods affected several parts of the city, causing “significant disruption to daily activities, damage to property and infrastructure” while placing the population at risk.
The flooding has again exposed the intersection between extreme rainfall, inadequate or obstructed drainage and unregulated urban development in parts of Bamenda.
While acknowledging the responsibility of Government to strengthen urban infrastructure, Minister KETCHA Courtes said flood resilience cannot be achieved through public works alone.
She assured affected residents of the continued commitment of Government, under the directives of the Head of State, to “strengthening urban resilience, improving drainage infrastructure, and promoting sustainable and orderly urban development.”
One of the interventions cited by the ministry is the C2D Programme currently being implemented in Bamenda.
The Minister said the programme contains “a significant sanitation component” as part of the urban infrastructure being developed in the city, potentially providing an important intervention in addressing some of the drainage and sanitation challenges that worsen flooding.
But the ministry has also placed responsibility on residents, businesses and other stakeholders.
“The safety and resilience of our cities in the face of the increasingly pronounced effects of climate change depend not only on public sanitation and drainage infrastructure, but also on the responsible behaviour of all citizens,” the Minister said.
That warning is particularly relevant in a city where rapid and sometimes poorly regulated construction has increased pressure on natural waterways and drainage corridors.
The ministry is calling for strict compliance with town planning and building regulations, including approved land use plans, building setbacks, drainage corridors, road reserves and other protected areas.
Residents have specifically been urged not to construct houses or other structures in flood prone areas, wetlands, drainage channels and riverbanks.
The ministry also reminded developers that the required town planning and building authorisations must be obtained before construction begins.
For Bamenda, where urban expansion has increasingly brought homes and other structures closer to waterways and vulnerable slopes, enforcement could be as important as the construction of new drainage infrastructure.
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The Minister called on administrative authorities, councils, traditional authorities, community leaders and other stakeholders to intensify sensitisation, monitoring and enforcement of planning regulations, with particular attention to flood vulnerable areas.
The ministry has also linked flooding to the condition of drainage infrastructure.
Residents have been urged to keep gutters, culverts, drainage channels and waterways free of household waste, construction debris and other materials that can obstruct the movement of rainwater.
The Minister specifically warned against dumping refuse in streets, gutters, streams and drainage systems, saying such practices “contribute significantly to flooding and the deterioration of urban infrastructure.”
The message puts a practical solution within reach of residents while government works on larger infrastructure interventions. Keeping drainage channels open can help existing systems perform their intended function, particularly during periods of intense rainfall.
The ministry is equally urging residents to promptly report blocked drainage systems, landslides and other flood related hazards to the competent authorities.
The latest flooding is not an isolated incident for Bamenda. Recurrent heavy rainfall and the physical vulnerability of the city have made flooding an increasingly important urban planning challenge.
The ministry therefore wants greater vigilance during periods of heavy rainfall and stronger cooperation between public authorities and communities.
The Minister said urban development must be “orderly, safe, sustainable and resilient to climate and environmental risks.”
That approach places the flood challenge in Bamenda beyond emergency response. It raises questions about where new buildings are permitted, how existing drainage corridors are protected, how waste is managed and whether planning regulations are consistently enforced.
The C2D sanitation component could strengthen the capacity of the city to manage storm water, but its impact will depend partly on whether infrastructure is protected from encroachment, obstruction and misuse.
For residents, the immediate responsibility is to keep waterways open, avoid risky construction and report hazards early.
For councils and administrative authorities, the challenge is enforcement.
And for the Government, the effectiveness of planned sanitation and drainage investments will ultimately be measured by whether they reduce the exposure of Bamenda’s communities to the next heavy rainfall.
Minister Célestine KETCHA stressed that compliance with planning regulations is more than an administrative obligation. It is, she said, “a collective responsibility essential for protecting lives, property and the future development of our cities.”
By Bakah Derick For Hilltopvoices Web
Tel: +237 694 71 85 77
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