New Ideas Concerning Arts and Social Studies Vol. 7

Even though much has been written on floods, literature on the vulnerability of the urban poor to flood hazards still requires significant empirical substantiation. This study aims to (a) characterise the urban poor in Bamenda city, (b) examine the spatio-temporal variation of flood vulnerability, and (c) explore the vulnerability of the urban poor to flood hazards in terms of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. A structured questionnaire was developed and administered through a household survey (n=150) in Bamenda II&III Municipalities. Data from questionnaires were complemented by field observations, interviews (n=2) and focus group discussions. Data was analysed descriptively. The levels of sensitivity, exposure and adaptive capacities of the households to flood vulnerability were analysed using the Binary Logistic Regression. The findings revealed the following: Firstly, the urban poor are characterised by low-income status and the lack of access to basic social facilities, which renders them vulnerable to flood hazards. Secondly, flood vulnerability in the study area varies over space and time. Neighbourhoods like Lower Ngomgham, Below Foncha, Chindeh and Ntatru are highly vulnerable to flood hazards.  Thirdly, the findings showed a strong positive correlation between poverty and flood exposure and sensitivity. The study strongly recommends that, in addition to the reactive measures often adopted during flood incidents, proactive strategies should be implemented at municipal and neighbourhood levels. These should include raising awareness and relocating urban poor communities from environmentally unsafe areas to safer locations as a matter of urgency. Future research could focus on assessing the effectiveness of reactive measures to flood incidents in areas with similar characteristics.