Chaired by the Secretary General of MINEE, Mr. Adolphe NJOUKE THOME, the main objective of these workshops was to consolidate at least five application texts for the new law. In terms of water resource management, Cameroon has a legal framework which dates back 25 years, stating that water is a common heritage of the country, managed and protected by the state while facilitating access for all. After all this time, it has therefore become obsolete, in view of the advances linked to IWRM, but also of the socio-economic, environmental and institutional changes that are generating complaints and claims from certain users. A review of Cameroon's national water policy revealed that “water management is not equipped with all the essential legal instruments”.
According to the Secretary General of MINEE, the merit of the text in preparation is to establish a typology of water sources according to whether they are considered as underground, spring or mineral. “This classification has an impact on the exploitation regime, which may or may not be subject to payment of a royalty when the water is taken for industrial or commercial purposes. At the same time, this law lays down rules designed to protect water from all kinds of harm, and establishes a system of liability and penal sanctions”, he declared.
According to Mr. Madi VOUNDOU, Director of Water Resources Management at MINEE, who was also present at the meeting, the revision of the law should make it possible to adapt certain points questioned by water stakeholders. This framework should consider decentralized local authorities in the management of water resources and enable Cameroon to facilitate the transposition of international commitments to which it has subscribed in terms of the management of water resources shared with neighboring countries.
At the end of the workshops, the draft law on the water regime was validated, subject to considering a few observations made by the participants, which the technical group will finalize and submit to the Head of Government for adoption.