Residential exposure to environmental nuisances in Cameroon

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the determinants of perceived residential exposure to environmental nuisances in Cameroon. The ordered logit model specified in our empirical analysis is estimated using data from the Fourth Cameroon Household Survey. Our findings suggest that perceived residential exposure to environmental nuisance is inversely related to home ownership and having a fence around home. Conversely, it is related to both internal household factors such as the use of kerosene for cooking and external factors such as the pavement of the road leading to housing and the proximity to transport infrastructure. For example, the use of kerosene for cooking is associated with a 0.025 point increase in the probability of being occasionally bothered by odor nuisance and a 0.036 point decrease in the probability of never being annoyed by odor nuisance. Similarly, the pavement of the road leading to housing and proximity to transport infrastructure are associated with a respective 0.121 and 0.170 points increase in the probability of being frequently bothered by noise pollution. Various relevant policy recommendations were proposed among which, the implementation of effective urban planning and transport systems to accompany urban expansion as well as the subsidies to ease access to improved stoves.