2024-03-18 19:50:05
Bafoussam, regional capital of Western Cameroon, is known for its cool and pleasant climate throughout the year. However, since mid-February 2024, residents have been suffocating under an unprecedented heat wave. An unusual phenomenon which, according to experts, is linked to global climate change. 237online.com, your reference online media, offers you an insight into this meteorological reality which is shaking up the daily lives of Bafoussamese people.
Striking testimonies: When residents suffocate
« This year’s heat is special“, confesses André Kemle, a retired civil servant who has lived in Bafoussam for 12 years. A feeling shared by many residents, like Aubin Njipmegni, Customs official, who previously sailed “between the extremes” from Douala and Bafoussam. Today he puts “ water in [son] fridge, to manage thirst quenchers ». S. Mafo, a former resident of Dschang, complains of the persistent appearance of heat rash on the back of her 6-year-old daughter. Striking testimonies which illustrate the scale of the phenomenon.
Scientific explanation: When the monsoon brings the furnace
But how can we explain this sudden and lasting rise in temperatures? According to Mathieu Kuate, geographer interviewed by 237online.com, “the monsoon, which is a current of warm and humid air coming from the ocean, is currently crossing a good part of the south of the country“. And to add: “We note a lack of atmospheric turbulence which should generate rain and relieve this current of part of its humidity and therefore its heat. Which means that this air mass almost reaches us. This is why we currently have almost the same feeling as in neighboring Moungo“. A scientific explanation which corroborates the feelings of the inhabitants.
Multiple consequences: From agriculture to clothing
The consequences of this heat wave are multiple and affect all aspects of daily life. In agriculture, “plants, planted in haste, germinate without regular water”, threatening future harvests. In homes, some “learn to say goodbye to their wool blankets”, become superfluous. And in the streets, the fans, formerly shunned, “have now found buyers, in significant numbers”. So many signs of a city that is adapting, as best it can, to this new climatic situation.
Climate change: A global challenge with local impacts
Beyond Bafoussam, all of Cameroon, and more broadly the entire world, is faced with the challenge of climate change. A challenge which, as the example of the Western capital shows, has very concrete and very local repercussions. Faced with this reality, it is urgent to act, at all levels, to mitigate the effects of global warming and adapt our lifestyles. A colossal, but vital challenge, to which 237online.com will continue to devote extensive coverage, with the rigor and commitment that are its signature.