Functionality of water supply handpumps in Cameroon (Central Africa)

Abstract

This review presents updated and expanded handpump functionality estimates for 310 councils in the 10 regions of Cameroon. Overall, the study estimates that the number of handpumps used as the main source of drinking water in Cameroon is 20,572, of which 9,113 are installed in modern wells and 11,459 are installed in boreholes. Our findings suggest that approximately one in three handpumps in Cameroon is non-functional, which in 2022 was roughly equivalent to 6,724 inoperative water points. According to this estimate, approximately 43.7 billion CFA francs, or 65.2 million USD, invested in the construction of water points are immobilized and do not generate any benefit. The community-based management of handpump water supply seems not to have given the expected results. This review also notes that questions related to the quality of handpump material and the corrosion of handpumps have not been sufficiently considered in the various research projects in Cameroon and Sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, post-construction monitoring, physical audits, and handpump rehabilitation campaigns could shed light on these issues to improve the performance of handpumps.