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Drainage Basin Anthropisation and Implication on Water Availability in the Mbum Plateau of Cameroon

Received: 24 August 2022    Accepted: 8 September 2022    Published: 19 September 2022
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Abstract

The earth's ever increasing human population have bestowed varied ecological signatures replicated in spatial mutations in drainage basins and watersheds. This is evident in the Mbum Plateau as anthropogenic actions have been impacting water supply basins through land cover changes with grievous impacts on water availability and supply for utilization by the population. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of drainage basin anthropisation on water availability in the Mbum plateau. A correlational research design with mixed qualitative and quantitative research approaches is used to detect the annual rates of drainage basins changes from 1980 to 2021 and analysed at spatiotemporal scales, computed using ArcGIS 10.2. Data was collected from 230 household heads using a semi-structured questionnaire in 13 sampled villages and secondary sources from published and unpublished documents. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used for the analysis. Using the Pearson Correlation to determine the link between drainage basin anthropisation and water availability, results reveal a calculated value of -0.060, signifying a negative relationship between drainage basin anthropisation and water availability. This indicates that there has been a significant decline in water supply availability as anthropogenic activities surges in the highland area. Positive water supply implications are apparent in areas that are forested with severe decline in anthropised and degraded watersheds. The study recommends plausible watershed management options in the phase of increasing anthropogenic activities with the high use of integrated, participatory and conservation approaches in the Mbum highlands.

Published in International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (Volume 7, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11
Page(s) 121-131
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Human Activities, Degradation, Land Uses, Water Sources, Watersheds, Mbum Plateau

References
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Mary Lum Fonteh Niba, Nfor Constance Kinyui, Bailack Kevin Mbuh. (2022). Drainage Basin Anthropisation and Implication on Water Availability in the Mbum Plateau of Cameroon. International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, 7(3), 121-131. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11

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    ACS Style

    Mary Lum Fonteh Niba; Nfor Constance Kinyui; Bailack Kevin Mbuh. Drainage Basin Anthropisation and Implication on Water Availability in the Mbum Plateau of Cameroon. Int. J. Nat. Resour. Ecol. Manag. 2022, 7(3), 121-131. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11

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    AMA Style

    Mary Lum Fonteh Niba, Nfor Constance Kinyui, Bailack Kevin Mbuh. Drainage Basin Anthropisation and Implication on Water Availability in the Mbum Plateau of Cameroon. Int J Nat Resour Ecol Manag. 2022;7(3):121-131. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11,
      author = {Mary Lum Fonteh Niba and Nfor Constance Kinyui and Bailack Kevin Mbuh},
      title = {Drainage Basin Anthropisation and Implication on Water Availability in the Mbum Plateau of Cameroon},
      journal = {International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management},
      volume = {7},
      number = {3},
      pages = {121-131},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnrem.20220703.11},
      abstract = {The earth's ever increasing human population have bestowed varied ecological signatures replicated in spatial mutations in drainage basins and watersheds. This is evident in the Mbum Plateau as anthropogenic actions have been impacting water supply basins through land cover changes with grievous impacts on water availability and supply for utilization by the population. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of drainage basin anthropisation on water availability in the Mbum plateau. A correlational research design with mixed qualitative and quantitative research approaches is used to detect the annual rates of drainage basins changes from 1980 to 2021 and analysed at spatiotemporal scales, computed using ArcGIS 10.2. Data was collected from 230 household heads using a semi-structured questionnaire in 13 sampled villages and secondary sources from published and unpublished documents. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used for the analysis. Using the Pearson Correlation to determine the link between drainage basin anthropisation and water availability, results reveal a calculated value of -0.060, signifying a negative relationship between drainage basin anthropisation and water availability. This indicates that there has been a significant decline in water supply availability as anthropogenic activities surges in the highland area. Positive water supply implications are apparent in areas that are forested with severe decline in anthropised and degraded watersheds. The study recommends plausible watershed management options in the phase of increasing anthropogenic activities with the high use of integrated, participatory and conservation approaches in the Mbum highlands.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Drainage Basin Anthropisation and Implication on Water Availability in the Mbum Plateau of Cameroon
    AU  - Mary Lum Fonteh Niba
    AU  - Nfor Constance Kinyui
    AU  - Bailack Kevin Mbuh
    Y1  - 2022/09/19
    PY  - 2022
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11
    T2  - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
    JF  - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
    JO  - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
    SP  - 121
    EP  - 131
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-3061
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20220703.11
    AB  - The earth's ever increasing human population have bestowed varied ecological signatures replicated in spatial mutations in drainage basins and watersheds. This is evident in the Mbum Plateau as anthropogenic actions have been impacting water supply basins through land cover changes with grievous impacts on water availability and supply for utilization by the population. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of drainage basin anthropisation on water availability in the Mbum plateau. A correlational research design with mixed qualitative and quantitative research approaches is used to detect the annual rates of drainage basins changes from 1980 to 2021 and analysed at spatiotemporal scales, computed using ArcGIS 10.2. Data was collected from 230 household heads using a semi-structured questionnaire in 13 sampled villages and secondary sources from published and unpublished documents. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used for the analysis. Using the Pearson Correlation to determine the link between drainage basin anthropisation and water availability, results reveal a calculated value of -0.060, signifying a negative relationship between drainage basin anthropisation and water availability. This indicates that there has been a significant decline in water supply availability as anthropogenic activities surges in the highland area. Positive water supply implications are apparent in areas that are forested with severe decline in anthropised and degraded watersheds. The study recommends plausible watershed management options in the phase of increasing anthropogenic activities with the high use of integrated, participatory and conservation approaches in the Mbum highlands.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Geography, Higher Teachers Training College Bambili, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

  • Department of Geography and Planning, Faculty of Arts, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

  • Department of Geography and Planning, Faculty of Arts, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

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