Influence of land use changes on groundwater quality – Bafoussam, West Cameroon

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to show that the change in land use impacts the quality of free groundwater and therefore the health of the population in the city of Bafoussam. Land use was dominated by housing (about 42%) followed by agricultural areas (33%) and green space. The socio-economic diagnosis by the guided survey showed that 62.5% of the population consumes CAMWATER water with malaria as the dominant water-related disease. The collection of water samples analysed by the colorimetric and photometric assay has allowed us to obtain a dominant water facies of the chloride and sulphate–calcium–magnesium type. The mapping of areas potentially vulnerable to pollution by ArcGIS 10.8 software presents the low-lying areas, downstream of agricultural sites, close to industries and neighbourhoods with strong urban disorder as the most vulnerable to pollution and therefore retained as actors of diffuse groundwater pollution in the city of Bafoussam. Thus, the change in land use and the increase in agglomeration degrade the quality of groundwater in this city. HIGHLIGHTS The quality of Bafoussam's groundwater is deteriorating as time goes by.; The growing urbanization of the city of Bafoussam is uncontrolled and anarchic.; The industrial and demographic development influences the quality of groundwater in the city of Bafoussam.; Concentrations of chemical elements exceeding those recommended by the WHO are mainly related to the overall hygiene quality of the population.;

Keywords

• bafoussam
• groundwater
• land use
• pollution
• vulnerability
• wells