Constructing in Wetlands : Flood kills young boy after heavy rains at the ”Derrier la base” neighborhood in Simbock, Yaounde

Yaounde,April 3,2026: Emombo lead for zones with high risk of disaster occurence

Five years old Didier has tragedically drowned  upon heavy rains, as runoff overwhelms home at over 2 feet on Friday, 3rd April, 2026. His passing echoes the devastating effects of construction at  illegal, lowlands  and marshy zones within Yaounde and environs.

Neighborhoods like Awae V (Yaoundé IV), Mokolo-élobi (Yaounde II), Nkolbisson, Mvog-Ada, and Mendong dominate construction in marshy areas.  Inhabitants of these areas say lack of affordable lands, low cost and increasing rural exodus are factors that trigger their construction and occupation of wetlands. Atiemeh Sandrine, mother of the deceased affirmed that as an internally displaced person, they were ready to settle just anywhere to survive. “We ran from bullets just for me to lose my child to water, life is so cruel “. A neighbor added that she locks the boy indoors most times to sell Bananas at the Mendong Market .” While rains fell, the boy had no escape route as water kept entering the house” she added.

Abega Atedjoé Hyacinthe Jean, Head of the Urban Planning and Housing Department at the Yaounde City Council says “Wetlands are prohibited for construction”. He adds that  “The law states that this is a non-building zone. Our planning documents are clear. These are non-building zones. Period. So, everyone there is considered to be outlaws; they don’t respect the law. They are breaking the law.” He added that In some suburbs, the percentage of buildings with legal permits varries widely , 74% in Odza , 7.3% in Emombo and 9% in Nkolndongo , summing up the  general building legality in those areas.

When asked the purpose of these wetlands, he said  the areas are naturally there to balance the ecosystem but when people destroy the structure of the soil and plough or level up soil, when it rains, water must find its way naturally. As such, floods in those zones is inevitable .To him,  If they had to break those habitations down, which is the right thing to do, people could go on strike but they are not aware they are endangering their own lives. When there’s a flood, he added that they just go there and do something calmly to prevent further loses.The respect of the law will prevent all these inconveniences and save us from cost of managing disasters he further reiterated.  It’s not just the lowlands, there are the hillsides too which withness a landslide due to human activities. It is dangerous to temper with the ecosystem.

When asked what decentralized local authorities doing to transform wetland areas into value-added environments, Mr Abega laid emphasis on the fact that the city Council has tried to make some improvements in these areas, which are called low-lying areas. Citing that there is an urban forest at Oyom Abang. He further reveals that they can still make it more attractive by creating  walkways where people can walk, as well as green spaces.. “We have planning documents that require us to secure these areas. The city isn’t a catch-all. The city has rules, and when you come to the city, you must respect those rules. Otherwise, we’ll end up with a village within a city leading to inner city decay. If the city council rigorously apply the law, all of those people who live in swamps will have to go elsewhere” he concluded while expressing regret for Didier’s tragedy.