Evaluation of the Impacts of Sea Level Rise Hazards in Douala-Cameroon

Abstract

Global warming and its associated impacts of Sea Level Rise hazards of flooding by storm surge, inundation, salt water intrusion to ground water, salt water incursion to rivers/estuaries affects low lying coastal Countries and small islands. Douala, with ecological and socio-economic vital values for the country is exposed to and should be prepared for the impacts of Sea Level Rise hazards while partaking in mitigation schemes. Consequently, vulnerability of fresh water resources of Sea Level Rise (SLR) hazards was assessed and projected areas at risk mapped. These were estimated using the coastal vulnerability index matrix. Projected areas at risk were obtained using the geographical information system geo-processing query. The calculated coastal vulnerability index (CVI)-SLR was 3.6 for the Douala low lying region indicating that it is high. Inundation (4) followed by SWI into ground water aquifers (3.86) was the dominant Sea Level Rise hazard impacts for the study area. Bareground (132.21 and 446.82 km2) and settlement (152. And 476.5 km2) classes of land cover will be more affected by 5 and 10 m projected flood levels. This study therefore suggests that major investments should be made to improve the data base of climate change variables of the coastlines of Douala and the entire nation since information from these databases will form the basis for the development of adaptation strategies to any future SLR hazards.