Hydrogeology of Cameroon

Africa Groundwater Atlas >> Hydrogeology by country >> Hydrogeology of Cameroon

Most of the textual information on this page was taken from the chapter on Cameroon in the report [‘Groundwater in North and West Africa’ (UN 1988). This information is outdated. If you have more recent information on the hydrogeology of Cameroon, please get in touch.

Compilers

Dr Kirsty Upton and Brighid Ó Dochartaigh, British Geological Survey, UK

Geographical Setting

Map of Cameroon (For more information on the datasets used in the map see the geography resources section)

General

Cameroon is in central-west Africa with a western coast on the Gulf of Guinea, and Lake Chad at its northernmost extent. Its geography includes a coastal plain, which extends 15 to 150 km inland; the south Cameroon plateau which rises from the coastal plain to more than 600 m; the Cameroon chain of mountains, hills and plateaus that extends from Mount Cameroon on the coast(Cameroon's highest point at 4,095 m) almost to Lake Chad on the northern border; the Adamawa Plateau in the centre of the country, with an average elevation of 1,100 m; and a northern lowland region which extends from the edge of the Adamawa Plateau to Lake Chad, with an elevation of around 300 m.

Estimated Population in 2013*	22,253,959
Rural Population (% of total) (2013)*	46.8%
Total Surface Area*	472,710 sq km
Agricultural Land (% of total area) (2012)*	20.6%
Capital City	Yaoundé
Region	Central Africa
Border Countries	Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo.
Annual Freshwater Withdrawal (2013)*	966.4 Million cubic metres
Annual Freshwater Withdrawal for Agriculture (2013)*	76.3%
Annual Freshwater Withdrawal for Domestic Use (2013)*	16.7%
Annual Freshwater Withdrawal for Industry (2013)*	7.1%
Rural Population with Access to Improved Water Source (2012)*	51.9%
Urban Population with Access to Improved Water Source (2012)*	94.1%

* Source: World Bank

Climate

The climate varies across the country, controlled by topography. The upland areas have a mild climate with high rainfall. The coast is hot and very wet, with only a short dry season. The plateau areas show distinct wet and dry seasons, with lower rainfall than the coastal region. The northern lowland region is relatively arid, with low rainfall and high temperatures.

• 
  Koppen Geiger Climate Zones
• 
  Average Annual Precipitation
• 
  Average Temperature

For further detail on the climate datasets used see the climate resources section.

Surface water

The main rivers in the south of the country are the Ntem, Nyong, Sanaga, and Wouri, which flow southwestward or westward into the Gulf of Guinea. The Dja and Kadéï drain southeastward into the Congo River. In the north, the Bénoué River flows north and west into the Niger. The Logone flows northward into Lake Chad, which Cameroon shares with three neighbouring countries.

Surface Water Map of Cameroon (For more information on the datasets used in the map see the surface water resources section)

Soil

Soil Map of Cameroon (For map key and more information on the datasets used in the map see the soil resources section)

Land cover

The coastal plain and southern plateau is dominated by equatorial rainforest. The upland regions have highland forest type vegetation. The dominant land cover in the northern lowland region is savanna scrub and grass.

Land Cover Map of Cameroon (For map key and more information on the datasets used in the map see the land cover resources section)

Geology

This section provides a summary of the geology of Cameroon. More information is available in the report Groundwater in North and West Africa: Cameroon (1988) (see References section, below).

The geology map shows a simplified version of the geology at a national scale (see the Geology resources page for more details).

Geological Environments

Key Formations	Period	Lithology	Structure
Geological Environment 1
Name of formation1	Time period	Description	Structure
Geological Environment 2
Geological Environment 3

Hydrogeology

This section provides a summary of the hydrogeology of the main aquifers in Cameroon. More information is available in the report Groundwater in North and West Africa: Cameroon (1988) (see References section, below).

The hydrogeology map shows a simplified version of the type and productivity of the main aquifers at a national scale (see the Aquifer properties resource page for more details).

Unconsolidated

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Sedimentary - Intergranular Flow

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Sedimentary - Intergranular & Fracture Flow

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Sedimentary - Fracture Flow

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Basement

Named Aquifers	Period	General Description	Water quality

Groundwater use and management

Transboundary aquifers

For further information about transboundary aquifers, please see the Transboundary aquifers resources page

References

The following references provide more information on the geology and hydrogeology of Cameroon.

These, and others, can be accessed through the Africa Groundwater Literature Archive

United Nations. 1988. Groundwater in North and West Africa: Cameroon. United Nations Department of Technical Cooperation for Development and Economic Commission for Africa, Natural Resources/Water Series No. 18, ST/TCD/5.

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Africa Groundwater Atlas >> Hydrogeology by country >> Hydrogeology of Cameroon