Cameroon’s Ministry of Water Resources and Energy has announced it will construct five hill dams in the North Region as part of the first phase of the Northern Agro-Industry Development Programme (PDAS), supported by the African Development Bank. The initiative aims to boost water access and sustainability for domestic, agricultural, livestock, and fishing activities, marking a significant step in developing the region’s hydraulic infrastructure.
According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, the dams will be located in Barkehi and Ndjam-Badi (Gaschiga and Bibémi Councils, Bénoué Division), Poli (Faro Division), and Mousgoy and Bassira (Guider Council, Mayo Louti Division). Detailed Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, Resettlement Action Plans, Environmental and Social Management Plans, and Livelihood Restoration Plans have been completed in accordance with Cameroon’s Environmental Law of 5 August 1996.
“The government, with the support of the African Development Bank, has completed the necessary studies to begin implementation of Phase 1 of the PDAS,” Minister of Water Resources and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, stated in a press release he signed. He called on administrative and municipal authorities, as well as civil society organisations, to collaborate towards achieving the programme’s objectives.
The PDAS forms part of Cameroon’s broader effort to harness rainwater through hill dams for economic and social resilience in the Sahelian North, a region frequently affected by droughts and seasonal water shortages. Similar dam projects across the country have been linked to improved irrigation capacity and rural livelihoods, with this new phase expected to reinforce food security and agro-industrial productivity in the coming years.
