With a population of over 3 million, Douala is one of the cities in Africa where rainwater drainage shortcomings are most critical. The city was built in an estuary and is affected by tides for several kilometres upstream and is increasingly subjected to flooding.
Douala does not have any wastewater or sewage sludge treatment infrastructure, and 98% of the population is not connected to any wastewater network. To face these challenges, Seureca has been entrusted with reviewing the Douala Urban Community master plan, with the aim of identifying:
- the amenities, measures, and works to be carried out on the drainage and wastewater system by 2040;
- the means to support the services of the Urban Community under its management mandate.
This master plan comprises six stages: an update of basic data, an inventory of the wastewater treatment system, a zoning of the wastewater system in the study area, a hydraulic model, an environmental and social assessment, and the definition of a multi-year works programme. In addition to the development of the master plan, the project covers a second phase including preliminary design studies and the preparation of tender documents for the performance of priority works.
In addition to the master plan, Seureca, in a consortium with ICEA, is supporting the Urban Community in improving wastewater management services. This assistance makes it possible to jointly define a suitable roadmap to strengthen the institutions and generate tangible value for the Urban Community of Douala, which now benefits from:
- a new detailed and scaled organisation chart to adequately manage wastewater treatment services in accordance with the Master Plan;
- an estimate of the means and resources necessary to provide suitable services, along with appropriate financing strategies (including estimates for the implementation of wastewater treatment and drainage tariffs);
- a performance service agreement that clarifies the new operating entity’s roles and responsibilities with regards to the Community;
- a set of operating manuals, procedures, and service plans to guide teams in the maintenance of the new infrastructure, maximise life cycle efficiency, and increase service levels;
- a detailed training plan to align the current skills of Urban Community teams with the requirements o the new system;
- a performance dashboard with operational and financial key figures.
