The Magha Caldera, its Local Inhabitants, and Related Landslides in Wabane, Cameroon

English Abstract:

Magha is in a caldera of volcanic origin with hot springs, and is located near the Bamboutus Mountains in West Cameroon. It is in a humid tropical area, with steep slopes, visible earth fractures and continuous human activity where tilling the soils for agriculture and housing is common. These and other events such as earthquakes, soil texture, high and long lasting rainfall contribute in triggering the repeated landslides that have characterized this area and its surroundings in the past half century. In 2003 one of the deadliest landslide disasters in the area killed 21 inhabitants, and people smelled gas characteristic of gunpowder immediately following the incident. This suggests that renewed volcanic activity may be associated with the frequent landslide activities experienced in this part of the country. If this is true, then the people of Magha and Cameroon need to brace up for a greater disaster in the making. The loss of human life and farm land due to landslides is already so high that the area has been categorized as a major social and environmental problem region for its inhabitants.

Despite the topography of the Magha area, its very fertile soils have attracted many farmers in recent years. Farming is practiced throughout the year in valleys and even on very steep slopes.