Key policies and governance approach

The Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon asserts in its Preamble that, “every person shall have a right to a healthy environment. The protection of the environment shall be the duty of every citizen. The State shall ensure the protection and improvement of the environment” [13].

The 1996 Framework Law on the Environmental Management lays down the general legal framework for environmental management in Cameroon. The law and regulations seek to guarantee the right of everyone to a sound environment and ensure a harmonious balance within ecosystems and between the urban and rural zones (Article 5) [14]. It establishes the fundamental principles regulating environmental pollution [15], prohibiting pollution of any kind, to the extent that it does not adversely affect the environment. Further, the law obliges the state to establish quality norms for air, water and soil, as well as any other norms that could be necessary to safeguard human health and the environment [13]. It also defines the principles of precaution, preventive and corrective action, polluter pays, liability, participation and subsidiarity, as key principles that underpin environmental and natural resources management in Cameroon [3].

Concerning air pollution, Section 1, Chapter III of Law No. 96/12 of August 5, 1996, on the Framework Law on the Environmental Management, deals entirely with atmospheric pollution [10]. Additionally, Decree No. 2011/2582/PM of 23 August 2011 to lay down conditions for the protection of the atmosphere, establishes the modalities of how Cameroon protects the atmosphere for a list of air pollutants including carbon dioxide, methane, and CFCs. It also establishes that the air quality measurement and control stations designed to ensure compliance with the requirements set out in Article 21 of the Framework Law on the Environmental Management are located in sites where pollution is presumed to exceed the limit values [16].

The main legal instrument governing water resources in Cameroon is the Water Law, Law No.98/005 of 14 April 1998 [17], which regulates all aspects related to water management and its relation to public health [3]. The fight against pollution is reflected, among other things, in regulations, water quality guidelines, water quality monitoring, economic tools (e.g., taxes and charges), water quality credit trading programs, education initiatives, consideration of point and non-point sources of pollution (e.g., agriculture), construction and operation of wastewater treatment plants and watershed management. Implementing Decrees relevant to pollution control include Decree No. 2001/165/PM of 18 May 2001 specifying the procedures for protecting surface water and groundwater against pollution; and Decree No. 2001/163/PM of May 08, 2001, regulating the protection perimeters around points of collection, treatment and storage of drinkable water [18].

The Government of Cameroon has formulated a plethora of laws to control the management of waste in the country [7], such as Decree No. 2012/2809/PM of 26 September 2012 to lay down conditions for sorting, collecting, transporting, retrieving, recycling, treating and final disposing of waste, and Order No. 001/MINEPDED of 15 October 2012 to lay down requirements for obtaining an environmental permit concerning waste management [14]. Additionally, Joint Ministerial Order No.0041/ MINEPDED/ MINCOMMERCE of 24 October 2012, relating to the manufacture, import and commercialisation of nonbiodegradable packages, takes into consideration Section 58 of the Environmental Law of 1996. It prohibits the manufacture, import, possession and free sale or distribution of non-biodegradable plastic packaging of less than 60 microns. The production, import, holding and marketing of non-biodegradable plastic packaging of more than 60 microns and the granules used in their manufacture are subject to the obtaining of an environmental permit. The order also forbids the burning, burial and littering of plastics in the open [7].

Successes and remaining challenges

Cameroon has several laws and policies that seek to address pollution, but faces challenges related to their implementation and enforcement [13]. Such challenges encountered by the Government include insufficient funds, insufficient or inadequate structures or infrastructures, corruption, lack of political will and a lack of public awareness [19].

Additionally, the incompleteness of laws also adds to the failure to effectively implement the country’s obligation to protect and fulfil the right of citizens to a healthy environment. This can be seen in the failure of the state to put into place, a law to implement the provision of Article 7 of Law N. 1996/12. As such, several years since the law came into force, there is still no law which sets out the procedure for the access to environmental information. Without the requisite conditions and procedures of access, the right to access to information, including environmental information, is only illusory and elusive, to the extent that it hinders the possibility of properly enhancing environmental protection in Cameroon [13]. Cameroon’s first legal document specifically devoted to air, Decree 2011/2582/PM of 23 August 2011 to lay down rules for the protection of the atmosphere, is also yet to enter into force since there is no application decree [20].

In recent years, Cameroon has managed large volumes of different types of waste in an environmentally friendly manner, with a view to reducing the marine pollution that partly emanates from land-based activities. In 2020, 1,854,535 tonnes of solid waste were thus treated compared to 1,0970,000 litres of liquid waste and 57 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment. Further, 21.8 tons of non-compliant plastic packaging (nonbiodegradable with a thickness of less than 61 microns) were seized that same year [21].

Despite this progress, there are still several barriers, including policy barriers, to the sustainable management of waste in Cameroon [22]. For instance, there are many reasons behind the ineffectiveness of plastic policies. Some of these reasons are regulatory challenges, as well as the lack of financial resources, an alternative market and fines or punishment for defaulters. The absence of stakeholder involvement, lack of public awareness, inadequate enforcement, poor waste disposal infrastructure and governance, and the lack of personnel to undertake field visits are also contributing factors. Furthermore, the absence of regulatory plastic policies in countries bordering Cameroon, coupled with the porous nature of its borders, has opened routes for the smuggling of plastics into the country, which hinders government interventions to manage plastic waste. In 2014 and 2015, over 200 people were arrested for smuggling plastic into the country. The operations, which led to the impounding of 60 tonnes of contraband worth over US $483,000, were carried out by the environment ministry, customs officials, and the Ministry of Trade in the Southwest Region [7].

Goals and Ambitions

The government of Cameroon has set out a national planning process to transition to LPG as a predominant cooking fuel, with a goal to move from 12% national usage to 58% by 2030. This will result in a highly significant reduction of PM2.5 - black carbon - and other short-lived climate pollutants, reduce deforestation, and protect the health of lower income households [23].