Congratulations to Professor Jianping Guo as a Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Scientist in 2024!
2024-11-27
A Review of the Effects of Climate Change on Hydropower Dams in Cameroon
Authors
-
Djomo Zeme Lawrence Benjamin
Methods Laboratory, National Higher Polytechnic School of Douala, University of Douala, Douala P.O. Box 24157, Cameroon
-
Bitondo Dieudonné
1. Department of Quality, Health and Safety, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon; 2. Methods Laboratory, National Higher Polytechnic School of Douala, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v6i3.6735Abstract
One nation in sub-Saharan Africa that is vulnerable to the adverse consequences of climate change is Cameroon. The government of Cameroon has been funding the building of hydroelectric dam infrastructure for many years in an effort to expand the energy sector, which generates revenue and jobs and aims to make the nation a rising nation by 2035. Climate change, however, may make it more difficult for the hydroelectric projects the nation has committed to, which would interfere with its development strategy and possibly impede its ability to meet its own targets for emergence. Thus, the topic of this article is the influence of climate change and its detrimental impacts, which could impede Cameroon's hydropower industry's development. The methodological approach involved searching using search engines like Microsoft Academic, Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar to critically evaluate over 80 papers and do bibliographic analysis. ENEO Cameroun SA, the firm in charge of producing and selling power in Cameroon, provided certain documents. The literature review's findings show that hydropower production in Cameroon is seriously threatened by climate change, both generally and specifically with regard to the Lagdo hydroelectric facility, which is situated in the country's northern regions. The literature analysis also demonstrates how Cameroonian water resources—which continue to be a crucial element of hydropower projects—are significantly impacted by climate change. Mitigation of the adverse impacts of climate change on hydroelectric schemes in Cameroon may be achieved by adaptation strategies that entail the expansion of diverse hydroelectric production sources, especially in specific advantageous locations like Ngaoundere. The government of Cameroon may potentially make investments in alternative energy generation methods, like renewable energies. To better direct decision-makers toward investment, particularly in the development of hydroelectricity in Cameroon, studies must be conducted in various regions of the nation to map the potential of renewable energies (solar, wind, etc.) in each of those regions and to promote the construction of micro-hydroelectric dams that can operate both during the rainy and dry seasons.
Keywords:
Cameroon; Climate change; HydropowerReferences
[1] GIEC, 2007. Contribution des Groupes de travail I, II et III au quatrième Rapport d’évaluation du Groupe d’experts intergouvernemental sur l’évolution du climat [Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Lead writing team] [Équipe de rédaction principale, Pachauri, R. K. et Reisinger, A. (publié sous la direction de]. GIEC: Geneva, Switzerland. 103p. Available from: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ar4_syr_fr.pdf (cited 9 May 2024).
[2] Christoph, M., Fink, A.H., Knippertz, P., 2004. Tropical-extratropical interactions causing precipitation in Northwest and West Africa: Part I: Synoptic evolution and climatological relevance. Proceedings of the 26th Conference on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology; May 3-7, 2004; Miami, FL, USA.
[3] Bigot, S., Brou, T.Y., Oszwald, J., et al., 2005. Facteurs de la variabilité pluviométrique en Côte d’Ivoire et relations avec certaines modifications environnementales [Factors in rainfall variability in Côte d'Ivoire and relationships with certain environmental changes]. Science et changements planétaires/Sécheresse. 16(1), 5-13.
[4] Pan, Z., Arritt, R.W., Takle, E.S., et al., 2004. Altered hydrologic feedback in a warming climate introduces a “warming hole”. Geophysical Research Letters. 31(17).
[5] Miller, R.L., Schmidt, G.A., Shindell, D.T., 2006. Forced annular variations in the 20th century intergovernmental panel on climate change fourth assessment report models. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. 111(D18).
[6] VivAfrika, 2015. Rapport annuel. 80p.
[7] Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement - Fonds pour l’Environnement Mondial, 2003. Projet maghrébin sur les changements climatiques [Maghreb project on climate change]. Algérie-Libye-Maroc-Tunisie. Bilan et perspectives. Projet RAB/94/G31.
[8] Suchel, J.B., 1987. Les climats du Cameroun; thèse de doctorat d’Etat; Université de Bordeaux III: France. 1186p.
[9] Liénou, G., Mahé, G., Paturel, J.E., et al., 2008. Impact de la variabilité climatique en zone équatoriale: exemple de modification de cycle hydrologique des rivières du sud-Cameroun [Impact of climate variability in the equatorial zone: example of changes in the hydrological cycle of rivers in southern Cameroon]. Proceedings of the 13th IWRA World Water Congress; September 1–4, 2008; Montpellier, France. Available from: https://orcid.org/signinhttps://orcid.org/signin (cited 9 May 2024).
[10] Olivry, J.C., Bricquet, J.P., Mahé, G., 1993. Vers un appauvrissement durable des ressources en eau de l’Afrique humide [Towards a sustainable depletion of water resources in humid Africa]. In Hydrology of Warm Humid Regions (Proc. Yokohama Symp., July 1993) (ed. by J. S. Gladwell), 67–78. IAHS Publ. 216. IAHS Press: Wallingford, UK.
[11] Bricquet, J.P., Bamba, F., Mahé, G., et al., 1997. Evolution récente des ressources en eau de l’Afrique Atlantique [Recent trends in water resources in Atlantic Africa]. Revue des sciences de l'eau. 10(3), 321–337.
[12] Servat, E., Paturel, J.E., Lubès-Niel, H., et al., 1999. De différents aspects de la variabilité de la pluviométrie en Afrique de l'Ouest et Centrale [Different aspects of rainfall variability in West and Central Africa]. Revue des sciences de l'eau. 12(2), 363–387.
[13] Mahé, G., L’Hôte, Y., Olivry, J.C., et al., 2001. Trends and discontinuities in regional rainfall of West and Central Africa: 1951–1989. Hydrological Sciences Journal. 46(2), 211–226.
[14] L’Hôte, Y., Mahé, G., Somé, B., et al., 2002. Analysis of a Sahelian annual rainfall index updated from 1896 to 2000; the drought still goes on. Hydrological Sciences Journal. 47(4), 563–572.
[15] Fontaine, B., Louvet, S., Roucou, P., 2007. Fluctuations in annual cycles and inter-seasonal memory in West Africa: rainfall, soil moisture and heat fluxes. Theoretical and Applied Climatology. 88(1–2), 57–70.
[16] Mahe, G., 1993. Les écoulements fluviaux sur la façade atlantique de l'Afrique. Etude des éléments du bilan hydrique et variabilité interannuelle, analyse de situations hydroclimatiques moyennes et extrêmes [Study of water balance elements and inter-annual variability, analysis of average and extreme hydroclimatic situations]. [ORSTOM (ed.)]. Institut Français De Recherche Scientifique Pour Le Développement En Coopération, Collection Études et Thèses: Paris. 438p.
[17] Sigha Nkamdjou, L., Sighomnou, D., Lienou, G., et al., 1998. Variabilité des régimes hydrologiques des cours d'eau de la bande méridionale du plateau sud-camerounais [Variability in the hydrological regimes of rivers in the southern strip of the southern Cameroon plateau]. In: Servat, E., Hugues, D., Fritsch, J.M., et al. (Eds.). Water Resources Variability in Africa during the XXth Country. Proceedings of the Abidjan'98 Conference held at Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, November 1998. IAHS Pub!: Wallingford, UK. no. 252, pp. 215–222.
[18] Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, 2018. Guide d’intégration des objectifs du Développement Durable (ODD) dans les plans locaux de développement. Projet d’appui au développement local, phase II [Guide to integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into local development plans. Local development support project, phase II]. 52p. Profade/OIF. Available from: www.francophonie.org (cited 9 May 2024).
[19] SIGHOMNOU, D., 2004. Analyse et redéfinition des regimes climatiques et hydrologiques du Cameroun: perspectives d’évolution des ressources en eau [Analysis and redefinition of climatic and hydrological regimes in Cameroon: prospects for the development of water resources] [PhD thesis]. Yaoundé: Université de Yaoundé I. pp. 18–20.
[20] Atlas du Cameroun, collection Atlas de l’Afrique, 2010. Guides touristiques, voyages [Atlas of Cameroon, Atlas Africa collection, tourist guides, travel], Jaguar, Jeune Afrique, 9782869504554, october 2010. 136p.
[21] Bureau Central des Recensements et des études de Populations, 2016. Recensement Général de la Population et de l’Habitat [General Population and Housing Census]. Available from: https://www.instat-mali.org/laravel-filemanager/files/shares/rgph/rapport-resultats-globaux-rgph5_rgph.pdf (cited 9 May 2024).
[22] Eneo Cameroun, 2020. Revue de sécurité du barrage de Lagdo au Cameroun. Rapport de diagnostic de la sécurite et de mise aux normes du barrage de lagdo. Rapport final. [Safety review of the Lagdo dam in Cameroon. Diagnostic report on the safety and upgrading of the Lagdo dam. Final report]. Eneo Cameroun: Douala Cameroun. 161p.
[23] Agence de Régulation du Secteur de l’Electricité, 2014. Politique Nationale, Stratégie et plan d’Action pour l’Efficacité Energétique dans le secteur de l’électricité au Cameroun [National Policy, Strategy and Action Plan for Energy Efficiency in the Electricity Sector in Cameroon]. 84p. Available from: https://rise.esmap.org/data/files/library/cameroon/Energy%20Efficiency/Cameroon_Energy%20efficiency%20strategy.pdf (cited 9 May 2024).
[24] Reghezza-Zitt, M., 2003. Sociétés humaines et territoires dans un climat qui change. Du réchauffement climatique global aux politiques climatiques [Human societies and territories in a changing climate. From global warming to climate policies], Géoconfluences. Available from: https://geoconfluences.ens-lyon.fr/informations-scientifiques/dossiers-thematiques/changement-global/articles-scientifiques/rechauffement-climatique-politiques-climatiques (cited 9 May 2024).
[25] IPCC, 2007. Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [Solomon, S., Qin, D., Manning, M., et al. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK; New York, NY, USA. p. 43.
[26] Convention des Nations Unies sur la Lutte Contre la Désertification, 2016. Définition des cibles de neutralité en matière de dégradation des terres: un guide technique [Defining land degradation neutrality targets: a technical guide].
[27] Conseil Mondial de l’Eau et climat, 2016. Livre bleu; Avenu Hassan Benchekroune; Agdal: Rabat [Water and climate Blue Book; Avenu Hassan Benchekroune; Agdal: Rabat]. 48p.
[28] Crowley, K.D., Huddleston, N., 2007. Overview of US national research council evaluation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste transportation in the United States. Packaging, Transport, Storage and Security of Radioactive Material. 18(1), 21–24. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1179/174651007X191189
[29] GIEC, 2014. Cinquième rapport d’évaluation; Bilan 2014 des changements climatiques: Rapport de synthèse [Fifth Assessment Report; Climate Change 2014: Summary Report]. GIEC: Geneva, Switzerland. 130p.
[30] Charney, J.G., Quirk, J.J., Chow, S., et al., 1997. A comparative study of the effects of Albedo change on drought in semi-arid regions. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. 34, 1366–1385.
[31] Courel, M.-F., Kandel, R.S., Rasool, S.I., 1984. Surface albedo and the Sahel drought. Nature. 307, 528–531.
[32] Lamb, P., 1978. Large-scale tropical Atlantic surface circulation patterns associated with subsaharan weather anomalies. Tellus. 30(3), 240–251.
[33] Fontaine, B., 1991. Variations pluviométriques et connexions climatiques: l'exemple des aires de mousson indienne et ouest-africaine [Rainfall variations and climatic connections: the example of the Indian and West African monsoon areas]. Sécheresse. 2, 259–264.
[34] Fontaine, B., Bigot, S., 1991. Modes de sécheresse ouest-africain et température de Surface océanique [West African drought patterns and ocean surface temperature]. Veille Climatique Satellitaire. 38, 37–49.
[35] Citeau, J., Berges, J.C., Demarcq, H., et al., 1998. The watch of ITCZ migration over the tropical Atlantic Ocean as an indicator in drought forecast over Sahelian areas. Tropical Ocean-Atmosphere Newsletter. 45, 1–3.
[36] Citeau, J., Demarcq, H., 1989. Questions relatives to ITCZ, migration over the tropical Atlantic Ocean, sea surface temperature and Senegal river runoff. Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics. 41, 181–190.
[37] GIEC, 2018. Rapport spécial du GIEC sur les conséquences d’un réchauffement planétaire de 1,5 °C [IPCC special report on the consequences of global warming of 1.5 °C]. Available from: http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/ (cited 9 May 2024).
[38] IBRD, The World Bank, 2008. World Development Report, 2008: agriculture for development. IBRD/The World Bank: Washington, DC, USA.
[39] Association Africaine de l’Eau, 2010. Rapport d’activités [Activity report; Abidjan, Ivory Coast]. Association Africaine de l’Eau: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. 80p.
[40] Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Energie, 2003. Guide pour le montage de projet de petite hydroélectricité [Guide to setting up a small hydroelectricity project]. Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Energie: Valbonne, France. 120p.
[41] Viollet, P.-L., 2010. Aménagement hydroélectrique; Article; Nouvelles technologies énergies renouvelables et stockage [Hydroelectric development; Article; New renewable energy technologies and storage]. Université peau et pays Adour: Pau.
[42] World Hydropower Outlook, 2023. Association internationale de l'hydroélectricité (IHA): London.
[43] Padovani, F., 2004. Migrations forcées et grands travaux hydrauliques en Chine: le cas du barrage des Trois Gorges [Forced migration and major hydraulic engineering works in China: the case of the Three Gorges Dam]. Géocarrefour. 79(2), 27–34. DOI: http://doi.org/10.4000/geocarrefour.504
[44] Sarradin, P.-M., Sarrazin, J., Allais, A.-G., et al., 2007. EXtreme ecosystem studies in the deep Ocean: Technological developments. Proceedings of the Oceans 2007 - Europe; June 18–21, 2007; Aberdeen, UK. Vols. 1–3, pp. 1001–1005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/OCEANSE.2007.4302376
[45] Musy, A., 2004. Hydrologie [Hydrology]. Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes: Lausanne.
[46] Cosandey, C., Robinson, M., 2015. Hydrologie continentale [Continental hydrology]. ISBN 9782200246174. ISBN en ligne 9782200281564. Armand Colin: Paris. 448p. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3917/arco.cosan.2012.01
[47] Dingman, S.L., 2008. Physical Hydrology, 2nd ed.; Waveland Press Inc.: Long Grove.
[48] Chow, V.T., 1965. Handbook of applied hydrology. International Association of Scientific Hydrology. Bulletin. 10, 82–83.
[49] Klemes, V., 1986. Dilettantism in hydrology: Transition or destiny? Water Resources. 22, 177S–188S.
[50] Roche, P.A., Miquel, J., Gaume, E., 2012. Hydrologie quantitative Processus, modèles et aide à la décision [Quantitative hydrology Processes, models and decision support]. Springer: Paris; New York. Notice PPN163246416.
[51] Gril, J.-J., Dorioz, J.M., 2004. Des bassins versants de recherche aux bassins opérationnels: quels bassins versants pour connaître et maîtriser les pollutions diffuses agricoles ? [From research catchment areas to operational catchment areas: which catchment areas should be used to identify and control diffuse agricultural pollution?]. Sciences Eaux & Territoires. 39, 3–16.
[52] Roche, M., 1963. Hydrologie de surface. Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre-Mer: Paris.
[53] Brulebois, E., 2016. Impacts du changement climatique sur la disponibilité de la ressource en eau en Bourgogne: aspects quantitatifs et qualitatifs [Impacts of climate change on the availability of water resources in Burgundy: quantitative and qualitative aspects]. Sciences de la Terre. [PhD thesis]. France: Université de Bourgogne. 323p.
[54] Christensen, J.H., Hewitson, B., Busuioc, A., et al., 2007. Regional climate projections. Climate Change, 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working group I to the AR4 of the IPCC, University Press, Cambridge. Chapter 11. pp. 847–940. ISBN: 978-0-521-88009-1.
[55] Tarhule, A., Zume, J.T., Grijsen, J., et al., 2015. Exploring temporal hydroclimatic variability in the Niger Basin (1901–2006) using observed and gridded data. International Journal of Climatology. 35, 520–539.
[56] Dzana, J.G., Ngoupayou, J.R.N., Tchawa, P., 2011. The Sanaga discharge at the Edea Catchment outlet (Cameroon): An example of hydrologic responses of a tropical rain-fed river system to changes in precipitation and groundwater inputs and to flow regulation. River Research and Applications. 27, 754–771. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.1392
[57] Amougou, J.A., 2018. Chapitre 2: Changements climatiques au Cameroun–Manifestations, Vulnérabilités, Impacts et Réponses [Climate Change in Cameroon-Events, Vulnerabilities, Impacts and Responses]. Science, Economics and Politics of Climate Change: A guide for policymakers in Cameroon. p. 5.
[58] IPCC, 2014. Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Group I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [Core Writing Team, Pachauri, R.K., Meyer, L.A. (eds.)]. IPPC: Geneva, Switzerland, 151p.
[59] Charron, I., 2016. Guide sur les scénarios climatiques: Utilisation de l’information climatique pour guider la recherche et la prise de décision en matière d’adaptation [Guide to climate scenarios: Using climate information to guide adaptation research and decision-making]. Available from: https://www.ouranos.ca/sites/default/files/2022-12/hors_proj-2016-charron-guide_scenario_0.pdf (cited 9 May 2024).
[60] IPCC, 2013. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Scientific Basis, IPCC Contribution of Working Group I to the AR5 of the IPCC. [Stocker, T.F., Qin, D., Plattner, G.-K., et al. (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK; New York, NY, USA. p. 222.
[61] Mc Sweeney, R., Hausfather, Z., 2018. Q&A: How do climate models work?
[62] Singh, V.P., Woolhiser, D.A., 2002. Mathematical Modeling of Watershed Hydrology. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. 7, 270–292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0699(2002)7:4(270).
[63] Charbonneau, R., Fortin, J.-P., Morin, G., 1977. The CEQUEAU model: description and examples of its use in problem related to water resource management. Hydrological Sciences Bulletin. 22(1), 193–202.
[64] Blasone, R.S., 2007. Parameter estimation and uncertainty assessment in hydrological modelling. [PhD thesis]. Kongens Lyngby: Technical University of Denmark. p. 71.
[65] Perrin, C., Michel, C., Andréassian, V., 2003. Improvement of a parsimonious model for streamflow simulation. Journal of Hydrology. 279(1–4), 275–289.
[66] Wagener, T., Sivapalan, M., Troch, P., et al., 2007. Catchment Classification and Hydrologic Similarity. Geography Compass. 1, 901–931. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-8198.2007.00039.x
[67] Wagener, T., Wheater, H.S., Gupta, H.V., 2004. Rainfall-runoff modelling in gauged and ungauged catchments. Imperial College Press: London, UK. 332p. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/p335
[68] Zin, I., 2006. Thèse de Doctorat: Incertitude et ambiguïté dans la modélisation hydrologique: discussion, développements méthodologiques et application à l’hydrologie de crue en Ardèche [Uncertainty and ambiguity in hydrological modelling: discussion, methodological developments and application to flood hydrology in the Ardèche]. [PhD thesis].
[69] Plan d’Action National d’Adaptation aux Changements Climatiques du Cameroun, 2015. Document de stratégie nationale qui vise à accompagner le gouvernement et les acteurs dans leur démarche d’adaptation aux changements climatiques [National strategy document designed to support the government and stakeholders in their efforts to adapt to climate change]. 187p.
[70] Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Protection de la Nature et du Développement Durable, 2021. Plan d’Action National de lutte contre la Désertification [National Action Plan to Combat Desertification] (PAN/LCD), 221p. Available from: https://minepded.gov.cm/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/PAN-LCD.pdf (cited 9 May 2024).
[71] Ministère de l’Environnement et des Forêts, 1996. The National Environmental Management Programme. Ministère de l’Environnement et des Forêts: Yaoundé, Cameroon.
[72] Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Protection de la Nature et du Développement Durable, 2020. Stratégie et Plan d’Action National de la Diversité Biologique. 180p. Available from: https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/ga/ga-nbsap-01-fr.pdf (cited 9 May 2024).
[73] Nonki, R.M., Lenouo, A., Lennard, C.J., et al., 2019. Assessing climate change impacts on water resources in the Benue River Basin, Northern Cameroon. Environmental Earth Sciences. 78, 606. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-019-8614-4.
Downloads
How to Cite
Lawrence Benjamin, D. Z., & Dieudonné, B. (2024). A Review of the Effects of Climate Change on Hydropower Dams in Cameroon. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 6(3), 48–71. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v6i3.6735
Issue
Article Type
Article
License
Copyright © 2024 Djomo Zeme Lawrence Benjamin, Bitondo Dieudonné
This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.
