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Coastal Zones 2016

May 16-18, 2016

Volume 4, Issue 1(Suppl)

Oceanography 2016

ISSN:2332-2632, OCN an open access journal

conferenceseries

.com

May 16-18, 2016 Osaka, Japan

Coastal Zones

International Conference on

Pollution Tolls in Cameroon Estuarine System: The Quest for an Integrated Approach

Yvette Baninla

and

Ngoran

Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS

he Cameroon estuarine ecosystem is of immense socioeconomic and biogeographic importance. This ecosystem harbors

more than 2 million inhabitants and the countries’ industries are disproportionately located in this zone. TheWouri estuary

in Douala alone is the main gateway in and out of Cameroon. The latter handles more that 95 percent of Cameroon’s maritime

trade. Moreover, the estuarine zone is the seat of the rich and diverse mangrove ecosystem. The mangrove serves as a spawning

milieu for marine organisms; the reason many people from all over central Africa converge here to earn a living through

fishing. Despite being of environmental and economic significance, non-point and point source pollution is gradually gaining

momentum. Surging population coupled with pollution from industrial and domestic wastes, pollution from shipping and oil

terminals, sea level rise, overfishing, deforestation and sprawl, will further excess deleterious effects on the estuarine milieu.

This paper makes an attempt in identifying the various sources of marine pollution in the Wouri estuary as well as the causes.

The negative effects of polluted substances were identified by collecting and studying the relevant literature. Pollution at the

coast is increasing at an alarming rate and addressing this problem has been a difficult task. The review looks at the definition of

coastal pollution, discusses the causes, impacts and preventive measures. Finally it makes an appraisal of Cameroon’s estuarine

ecosystem, pinpoints the lacunas in current management approach. Though efforts have been made to address compelling

pollution challenges, they have been government-dominant and largely enshrined in the sectorial approach. The integrated

estuarine approach (IEA) built on integrated coastal management (ICM) is recommended as a management strategy to curtail

estuarine pollution. The IEA though a prototype, is also expected to shape management within the academic arena.

Biography

Yvette Baninla has completed his Masters from Xiamen University and is now doing her PhD in Researh Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS.

Yvette Baninla et al., Oceanography 2016, 4:1(Suppl)