Cameroon - Water supply and sewerage sector study (Vol. 1 of 2) : Text

Report No. 902-CM 0 Cameroon: Water Suppyly and Sewerage Sector Study (In Two Volumes) Volume 1: Text June 30, 1975 WHO/IBRD Cooperative Program Western Africa Regional Office Not for Public Use Document of the World Health Organization/World Bank This document has a restricted distribution aricl may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization.  CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS Monetary Unit = CFA Franc (CFAF) 1 CFA Franc = US$0.0044 1 US$ = CFAF 225.00 FIVE-YEAR PLANS Third 1971-1976 Fourth 1976-1981 Fifth 1981-1986  TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME I - TEXT SUMMARY AND INITIAL GOVERNMENT REACTIONS -iv I. INTRODUCTION Page 1 The Study Definition of "Urban" and "Rural" Population Background Information II. PRESENT SITUATION Page 5 General Organization Staffing Population Served and Standards of Service Legislation Costs, Tariffs and Finances III. ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS Page 10 General Sector Objectives and Proposed Investment Programme Organization Recruitment, Training and Conditions of Employment Tariffs Studies STUDY DATA SHEETS 001 to 007 VOLUME II - ANNEXES ANNEX I - BACKGROUND INFORMATION Geography and Climate Economy Water Resources Public Health Population Forecasts Map I : Rainfall and Relief Map II : Administrative Divisions Map III : Population Density (1971) Table I : Urban, Rural and Total Population Table II : Population of Small Administrative Centres Table III: Regional Distribution of Population and Income Table IV : Rainfall at Selected Stations Table V : Waterborne Diseases ANNEX II - PRESENT SITUATION (Not included but available as a woSrking paper) General Legislation Organization of Urban Water Supply Urban Water Consumption and Population Served Projections of Urban Water Consumption and Population Served Finance and Tariffs Current Development Programme in Urban Water Supply Urban Sewerage and Drainage Rural Water Supply /1  ANNE II (Cont'd) Map I - Urban Water Supply Table I - Summary of the Third Five-Year Plan (1971-1976) Table II - Present Water Service for Towns with a System (30 June 1973) Table III - Projected Urban Water Demand (1976-1996) Table IV - Organization Chart of the Ministry of Mines and Energy Table V - SNEC - Organization Chart Table VI - SNEC - Staffing Situation and Regional Distribution of Manpower Table VII - Cost of Water Operations Table VIII - Water Tariffs and Cost of Water Sold Table IX - SNEC - Income Statements (1971, 1972, 1973) Table X - SNEC - Balance Sheets (1971, 1972, 1973) ANNEX III - URBAN AND RURAL WATER SUPPLY DEVEIPMENT PROGRAMMES Urban Water Supply Rural Water Supply Chart I - Urban Water Supply Development Programme Table I - Urban Characteristics Related to Water Supply Table II - Urban Population Served at the End of Each Five-Year Plan Table III - Investment Needed to Serve 100% of the Urban Population by 1986 Table IV - Summary of Development Programme for Urban Water Supply Table V - Rural Water Supply Development Programme  SUMMARY AND INITIAL GOVERNMENT REACTIONS General 0.01 Cameroon has a population of 6.3 million increasing at 2.2% annually. About 35% of the urban population and 22b of the rural population are esti- mated to be adequately served with water. Sewerage systems are practically non-existent. Most towns have embryonic storm drainage systems but usually in the form of unlined ditches with no protection. 0.02 The organization of the water supply sector is highly fragmented. The Ministry of Mines and Energy operates eight systems in the NW and S3W Provinces. The Government has delegated the operation of the 13 principal systems in the rest of the country to the Societe Nationale des Eaux du Cameroun and four small systems are operated by municipalities. The Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for rural water supply. Issues 0.03 The principal issues are: (a) the definition of sector objectives in terms of the percentage of the population to be served and water quality; (b) the provision of an adequate institutional and legal framework; (c) improvement of recruitment, training and conditions of employment; (d) the revision of tariffs; and (e) the identification and execution of necessary pre-investment, technical, managerial and economic studies. All of these issues should be tackled with the long-term goal of applying unified policies in the sector and overcoming the present organizational fragmentation of the sector. Proposals A. Ob,jectives 0.04 The proposed objective for urban water supply is to serve the whole urban population by 1986 (end of the Fifth Five-Year Plan). The estimated investment requirements are about CFAF 15 billion over the period 1976.-1986 or about CFAF 1.5 billion per year, which is twice the planned level of the current Five-Yeair Plan. A phased programme is proposed which concentrates initially on centres which already have water supply systems and those for which studies are available. 0.05 In rural water supply, it is proposed that the Government at least maintain the present level of investment (about CFAF 0.2 billion per year) in order to supply practically all the rural. population by the end of the century. The Government, however, should consider doubling annual investment by 1980 to advance to 1990 the time by which essentially complete coverage of the rural population could be achieved. The programme could be staged in line with Governlment priorities regarding the small administrative centres, the Northern Plains, the resettlement areas and the Western Highlands. 0.06 In urban sewerage and drainage, the absence of cost data make it difficult to prDpose an investment programme. The general provision of sewerage and drainage seems of low priority although certain needs are  - ii - evident in Douala and Yaound6. The programme included in the current Five-Year Plan has not been implemented and the amounts provided (CFAF 1200 million) are almost certainly inadequate for the needs. Existing master plans should be updated with a view to project implementation during the next Five-Year Plan (1976-1981). The major impact on rural sanitation should come through continuecd public henLth education on improved methods of excreta disposal and the development of self-help projects. B. Organization 0.07 The main problems in rural water supply are financial rather than organizational and in the short-term the development of sewerage and storm drainage is of relatively low priority. The basio organizational problems therefore relate to urban water supply and three alternative solutions are proposed for the short and medium term: (a) strengthening the Ministry of Mines and Energy while maintaining its present functions; (b) transfer of responsibilities for water systems in the NW and SW Provinces to SNEC; and (c) creation of a new autonomous water supply authority, owned by the Government. In the longer term, where extension of service to the lower- income population and the formulation of unified sector policies will become increasingly important, solution (c) is to be preferred. If so, there are arguments for establishing a national water supply authority as soon as possible to operate the systems in the NW and SW Provinces. As expertise is gained, the responsibilities of the authority could be expanded to take in additional urban water supply systems, sewerage and, if desirable, rural water supply. C. Recruitment, Training and Conditions of Employment 0.08 To meet the objective of providing water supply to the whole urban population by 1986, it is estimated that 300 people will have to be recruited and trained annually over a 10 year period. While SNEC has some training facilities, the Government should decide on a recruitment programme and the possibility of establishing a permanent training institution. No specific proposals are made with regard to conditions of employment because it is recognized that this is a matter of general Government policy with implications beyond the water supply sector. However, differences between conditions of employment within the sector should be recognized as a fundamental problem especially if the Government adopts the long-term objective of sector unification. D. Tariffs 0.09 Before tackling the tariff issue, the Government should decide on its social objectives and the proportion of costs to be recovered by water charges. In the NW and SW Provinces, the average tariff level is too low and only a small percentage of billings is collected. It is proposed that collection procedures should be drastically improved and the tariff level *aised. The tariff structure in the NW and SW Provinces should be simplified but it does at least take some account of the limited ability of the lower-income population to pay. Changes in tariff structure are proposed for the water systems  operated under concession agreements in Cameroon's other provinces so as to facilitate the extension of water supply to the lower-income groups. Inter- regional differences in tariff levels and structures exist at present due to Government policies and variations in costs. In the long-term, there is no reason why different principles should be applied to tariff structure in different regions. Three alternative approaches are proposed towards tariff levels: (a) different levels in different systems based on differences in cost; (b) a uniform level nationally based on the average cost of all systems; and (c) an intermediate solution to permit some income redistribution from richer to poorer areas or as part of regional development policy. E. Studies 0.10 Seven studies are proposed to tackle the issues identified and to evaluat.e and implement the proposals made. They are contained in Study Data Sheets 001 to 007. Government Reactions 0.11 On the basis of a summary of a draft version of the Report, the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Ministry of Agriculture have unofficially accepted most of the proposals summarized above or else included them as issues to be studied further. The two Ministries are specifically recommending as Government policy: - Objectives. (i) The provision of water supply to the whole urban population by 1986 with essentially the phasing proposed in the Report. (Towns not yet studied would be studied during the Fourth Plan and projects imple- mented during the Fifth Plan; towns for which studies exist or where construction has started would be commissioned before or during the Fourth Plan; the timing of extensions to existing systems has not been detailed except that all exten- sions would be completed by the end of the Fifth Plan); (ii) Investment in rural, water supply to be maintained at CFAF 0.2 billion during the Fourth Plan; (Xiii All principal administrative centres to receive systems during the Fourth Plan arid smaller administrative centres by the end of the Fifth Plan. - Organization. The creation of an autonomous water supply authority as soon as possible to operate the systems in the NW and SW Provinces. In the longer term, this would form the nucleus of a national authority to manage all water supply systems and possibly sewage systems in Cameroon. - Training. The creation of a section in the National School of Technology to train technicians in water supply and sewerage. - Tariffs. Increases in water supply tariff levels in the YW and SW Provinces to achieve greater financial viability; improvement of revenue collection, especially from municipalities; encouragement of private connections. - Studies covering (i) a national policy for water supply, with particular reference to the oW2ective of extending water supply to the lower-income population. The  - iv - study would also consider appropriate water quality standards and the adoption of uniform tariffs within the SNEC systems to facilitate the longer-term integration of these systems within the national water supply authority; (ii) the general question of management of urban water supply syntems (institutions, organizations, finance and training); (iii) sewerage and drainage in the main urbnn centres, particularly Douala, Yaounde, Maroua and Victoria. The study would establish master plans and feasibility studies for the first stage of works. The study would further examine organization, with particular reference to the possibility of placing the management of sewage and drainage systems under the autonomous national water supply authority;- (iv) assistance, in the form of technicians and equipmnent, to the Ministry of Agriculture to prepare and implement; a countrywide programme of rural water supply. 0.12 These studies correspond to the proposed Study Data Sheets 001, 002, 003, 005 and 007. The principle of Study Data Sheet 004 (Pre-Investment Study of Small Administrative Centres) has been maintained although the counterpart agency will probably be the Ministry of Mines and Energy rather than the Ministry of Agriculture. Study Data Sheet 006 (Pre-Investment Studies for Medium-Sized Towns) has not been explicitly retained although the bulk of these studies will be required in some form if the proposed programme for urban water supply is to be implemented.  I. INTRODUCTION The Study 1.01 At the request of Government and in the framework of the IBRDAFiHO Cooperative Programme, a mission composed of Messrs. P. Vallet and L. Laugeri from WHO, and of R. Bates and W. Schaefer from IBRD, visited Cameroon in January-February 1974. The mission was assisted by Mr. V. Lopez-Castillo, the WHO resident sanitary engineer. The mission's objectives were (i) to evaluate the existing situation in the water supply, sewerage and drainage sector; (ii) to consider development plans for the sector over a twenty-year period (1974-1993); (iii) to identify problems likely to restrict progress; and (iv) to consider and discuss with national officials some alternative solutions to these problems. On the basis of the findings of the mission, a draft report was prepared by IBRD and WHO. The Government received a summary version of the report in English in June 1974 and in French translation in August 1974. The Government's written comments were received in January 1975 and discussed with the Government in Yaounde by Messrs. R. Bates, L. Laugeri and V. Lopez-Castillo in April 1975. This final version of the report takes into account the modifications requested by the Government and the agreements reached during discussions. 1.02 The report considers rural and urban water supply of equal importance, in view of the present and projected rural and urban populations in Cameroon. Sewerage and drainage are practically non-existent in the country and, in view of other demands on scarce resources, the general provision of sewerage and drainage was considered to be of low priority. Sewerage problems were there- fore examined only as logical continuations of water supply developments, with cost estimates based on comparable cases in other African countries. Investment in drainage was given high priority only for some large cities which have serious flooding problems. 1.03 Due to lack of reliable data some of the figures used in the report are best estimates. The mission has discarded improbable data at the cost of some information gaps. Some of the data collected by the mission and appearing in the appendices are estimates collected directly during field trips to Douala and to the North and the West of Cameroon, where more than twenty cities and a number of rural communities were visited. In Yaounde, the mission received full assistance from Government officials concerned, in particular the Direction of Energy and Water (Ministry of Mines and Energy), the Direction of Programmes (Ministry of Plan) and the Direction of G6nie Rural (Ministry of Agriculture). The mission has also used as background information recent economic and agri- cultural surveys by IBRD. Definition of "Urban" and "Rural" Population 1.04 In Cameroon, the official definition of the "urban" population includes all centres of more than 3,000 inhabitants, all administrative centres, and certain centres which have development prospects combining industry and agri- culture. It should be emphasized that for the purposes of this report, a different definition has been adopted to include only those with populations in excess of 6,000 inhabitants. This difference in definition is largely pragmatic and arises out of technical consideration of the water supply, sewerage and storm drainage sector. It is considered that centres with populations exceeding 6,000 inhabitants appropriately warrant water supply systems of the urban type, in terms of their size, population density, other infrastructure and type of dwelling.  - 2 - 1.05 Thus, centres with populations between 3,000 and 6,000 inhabitants as well as the agro-industrial development centres have been classified as "rural" in this renort because they exhibit the characteristics of rural centres in water supply terms. In tile same way, the 75 small administrative centres listed in Table II of Annex I are classified as 'rural". Their combined population is estirmated at only 170,000 of which 49; had populations of less than 1,000 in 1968. Correspondingly, the Genie Rural has been and should continue to be active in these centres until the Ministry of Mines and Energy is prepared to undertake this kind of service and until the need for an urban-type water supply system has been demonstrated. Background Information 1.06 The Federal Republic of Cameroon, which was formed on 20 October 1961, became the United Republic of Cameroon in May 1972, with the merging of the French-speaking former East Cameroon and the English-speaking former West Cameroon (now called the NW and SW Provinces). Both languages are recognized officially. Per capita GNP is about US$200 although only US$75 in rural areas. The Republic has a population of about 6.3 million, increasing at about 2.2% annually, and an average population density of 13 per sq. km. with large regional differences (Annex I). Some 4.6 million people (about 70O of the total population) live in rural areas. Because the prospects in agri- culture are reasonably good, migration from rural areas to the urban centres ias not as acute in Cameroon as in some other African countries (the urban population growth rate is around 7P6 per annum, about three times the national average instead of five times or more in some other African countries). 1.07 Urban population densities are low (about 80/ha in Douala, generally less elsewhere), and as a result urban infrastructure costs are comparatively high (the usual urban population density in Africa is more than 150/ha). The rural population tends to concentrate along axes such as roads or streams whichl could make easier the provision of basic sanitary services. However, the provision of basic sanitary facilities has so far been inadequate and there is a high incidence of water-borne diseases. This has been a matter of official concern for several years, as reflected in the current (Third) Five- Year Plan, wqhich makes provision for a majoi effort in the improvement of sanitary facilities in urban and rural areas. In urban water supply, the projects currently under way will at best maintain the present low level of service during the next decade, and there has been hardly any progress in recent years in sewerage a-nd draina