Community water project as a mechanism in population mobility: the case of Nkwen community water project in north west Cameroon

Ngefor Gillian Sanguv, University Of Dschang

Abstract Water is a primary source of subsistence and water projects act as pull and push factors in regulating population mobility. With the rapid increase in Nkwen population, pressure on land as a result of increase demands for farmlands, settlements and urbanisation, most of the water sources are polluted leading to increased mobility in search of water. This paper intends to evaluate the impact of a community water project on the mobility patterns of a rural community.Data collection was through questionnaire where 250 respondents (50 for management;200 for community) were randomly surveyed for the study. Descriptive analyses showed that 64% of the sample population fetched water from a distance less than 200m from their homes compared to pre-project era where 76% of the population carried water from at least 200m away from their homes. It was also observed that some post-project settlers were pulled by the water project.