Socio-Environmental Impacts of Sprawl on the Coastline of Douala: Options for Integrated Coastal Management

This book addresses the socioeconomic and environmental implications of urban sprawl on the coastline of Douala-Cameroon by making use of qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The findings of the work portray that sprawl in Cameroon is orchestrated by inadequate policy implementation, archaic master plan, inadequate information dissemination to the public, inequality in the distribution of resources among the different regions of the State and above all, the gaps elucidated by the traditional form of management. The work upholds that livelihood strategies and environmental protection are intricately linked, and therefore, there is a need for ICM as the management approach blends the two adequately. Based on the experience drawn from Xiamen ICM, the study concludes that Douala needs an autonomous coastal interagency to address the gaps punctuated by sectoral management, and thus, enhance the sustainable management of its coastal milieu.