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factories and population discharge their waste directly into the rivers of the
Cameroon estuary. Mangroves of the Wouri estuary have progressively become
potential dumps for solid materials of which the low decomposition will cause the
forest depletion associated with the intoxication of the food chain.
3.4.6 Petroleum Activities
Mangrove forests provide generally a variety of goods and services (DahdouhGuebas 2001; Walters et al. 2008). Oil spills seeping into coastal waters and rivers,
covering exposed roots of mangroves and airy. It is difficult or impossible to respiratory plants lenticels to perform their essential functions when covered in oil, so they
are slowly and progressively asphyxiated. The massive successive deaths of mangroves is a common phenomenon afflicting the mangrove areas where oil exploitation is practiced. All petroleum activities are source of risk. Due to the fact that oil
spills often occur in remote areas, a large number of frequent accidents could go
unnoticed for long periods of time and are not cleaned effectively and timely manner. According to Din (2001) such situations may occur in the mangrove of the Rio
del Rey estuary as oil activities in this area are free from any control on their environmental impact.
Douala is one of the major shipping ports in the Guinea Gulf that serves the
entire central Africa and refuels oil tankers to export locally extracted oil, another
significant anthropogenic impact on the Wouri river estuary mangroves (Alemagi
2007; Duke 2016; Price et al. 2000; Van De Walle 1989). Many hazards from petroleum activities have been encountered in all mangrove areas of Cameroon (Fig. 3.14).
Drilling activities destroyed many hectares of mangroves forest near Douala. A serious oil spill from the Limbe refinery had damaged all mangrove stands along the
Atlantic Ocean. Seismic lines are responsible of mangrove depletion in the two
mains mangrove stands of the country.
Non peri-urban mangroves located in the estuary of Cameroon, the mouth of the
river Nyong and Kribi will face in the future to disturbance from exploration (seismic survey to identify potential petroleum reserves) and oil exploitation (NfotabongAtheull 2011). Devegetation of these intertidal forests resulting from seismic
delineation leave bare soil may be eroded by wave movements (Osuji et al. 2010).
The disruption of the structure of mangroves will be inevitable since the seismic
exploration phase (cable routing) often require cutting trees up (Osuji et al. 2007).
As has been shown in Nigeria, the recovery of disturbed areas will take about 3
years (Aston-Jones 1988).
3 Impact of Urbanization on the Evolution of Mangrove Ecosystems…
factories and population discharge their waste directly into the rivers of the
Cameroon estuary. Mangroves of the Wouri estuary have progressively become
potential dumps for solid materials of which the low decomposition will cause the
forest depletion associated with the intoxication of the food chain.
3.4.6 Petroleum Activities
Mangrove forests provide generally a variety of goods and services (DahdouhGuebas 2001; Walters et al. 2008). Oil spills seeping into coastal waters and rivers,
covering exposed roots of mangroves and airy. It is difficult or impossible to respiratory plants lenticels to perform their essential functions when covered in oil, so they
are slowly and progressively asphyxiated. The massive successive deaths of mangroves is a common phenomenon afflicting the mangrove areas where oil exploitation is practiced. All petroleum activities are source of risk. Due to the fact that oil
spills often occur in remote areas, a large number of frequent accidents could go
unnoticed for long periods of time and are not cleaned effectively and timely manner. According to Din (2001) such situations may occur in the mangrove of the Rio
del Rey estuary as oil activities in this area are free from any control on their environmental impact.
Douala is one of the major shipping ports in the Guinea Gulf that serves the
entire central Africa and refuels oil tankers to export locally extracted oil, another
significant anthropogenic impact on the Wouri river estuary mangroves (Alemagi
2007; Duke 2016; Price et al. 2000; Van De Walle 1989). Many hazards from petroleum activities have been encountered in all mangrove areas of Cameroon (Fig. 3.14).
Drilling activities destroyed many hectares of mangroves forest near Douala. A serious oil spill from the Limbe refinery had damaged all mangrove stands along the
Atlantic Ocean. Seismic lines are responsible of mangrove depletion in the two
mains mangrove stands of the country.
Non peri-urban mangroves located in the estuary of Cameroon, the mouth of the
river Nyong and Kribi will face in the future to disturbance from exploration (seismic survey to identify potential petroleum reserves) and oil exploitation (NfotabongAtheull 2011). Devegetation of these intertidal forests resulting from seismic
delineation leave bare soil may be eroded by wave movements (Osuji et al. 2010).
The disruption of the structure of mangroves will be inevitable since the seismic
exploration phase (cable routing) often require cutting trees up (Osuji et al. 2007).
As has been shown in Nigeria, the recovery of disturbed areas will take about 3
years (Aston-Jones 1988).
3 Impact of Urbanization on the Evolution of Mangrove Ecosystems…