Upper Sanaga: Communities lament Lom Pangar Dam eroding livelihoods.

The affected localities include Mengué, Mekone III, Ekone, Badja, Nangmana, Ngoney, Bifogo, Bakeng, Ndokoa, Mbandjock and Megangme.

Under the grouping of Dynamique Participative Pour le Développement Local, DYPADEL, and Synergie Locale d’Appui au Développement, SYLAD, said they assessed the situation in June and July. 

According to the two organisations, the findings point to a widening gap between the development objectives associated with the Dam and the realities experienced by communities downstream in Massa, Deng Deng, Mousgoum and Kotoko among others.

River economy disrupted

For generations, communities along the Sanaga River developed livelihoods around the river’s seasonal rhythm. Fishing provided food and income. 

Agriculture depended on access to fertile land and predictable water conditions. Sand extraction created employment and supported local businesses, while the river itself remained an essential source of water.

Residents interviewed during the investigations say that rhythm has become increasingly difficult to predict since the Dam began operating in 2017.

The Dam’s water management system requires variations in water release, but communities say sudden rise and fall in the river have transformed familiar areas into unpredictable and sometimes dangerous spaces. 

Sandbanks that emerge when water levels fall can subsequently disappear when the river rises, creating risks for residents who venture near the water.

For fishermen, the consequences are economic as well as environmental. Ndombe Andre, a fisherman from one of the affected villages, said fishing, once a reliable source of livelihood, has become increasingly difficult. 

According to him, fishing zones have been reduced while nets are frequently damaged or clogged with mud and debris. 

He also reported a decline in fish stocks, forcing some fishermen to abandon the profession. He noted that since the construction of the Dam and its resulting 540 square kilometre reservoir in 2012, life has never been the same.

Ndombe said two of his grandsons; aged 17 and 18, drowned after a sudden rise in the river swept them away while they were playing on a sandbank that had appeared following a drop in water levels.

According to the fisherman, search teams spent nearly two weeks looking for the boys before their bodies were recovered.

“We do not know when the water will rise or when it will fall. I am living with this pain because the movements of the dam took away my grandchildren,” he said.

His account adds a tragic dimension to the broader concerns over water management. For residents, the issue is not only the loss of income but also the difficulty of adapting to a river whose behaviour they say has become increasingly unpredictable.

Farmers caught between water & food insecurity

The disruption, it should be said, extends beyond fishing. Women who depend on agriculture for household food and income also said their activities have been severely affected.

Elsa Ngamang Mbatome, a farmer from one of the riverine communities, said farmland is increasingly exposed to flooding linked to water releases. 

Crops including cassava and cocoyam, Ngamang said, can rot when agricultural plots are unexpectedly submerged. The consequences, she lamented, extends into household welfare. 

“In the past, we could cultivate according to our strength and still harvest enough to feed our families and send our children to school. Today, even large farms produce very little,” she explained.

The decline in agricultural productivity, Ngamang noted, raises concerns about food security in communities where households have limited alternative sources of income.

For Ngamang, the response should go beyond compensation. She called for programmes capable of helping residents build new livelihoods, particularly women and young people.

She went further to propose training in fish farming, livestock production, poultry farming and small-scale trade as possible alternatives for households whose traditional economic activities have been weakened.

Sand extraction facing challenges 

The economic consequences are also visible in the sand extraction sector. Once an important source of income for residents and a supplier of construction materials, local sand extraction is reportedly struggling because of the changing conditions of the Sanaga.

Zanga Crick Nelson, Manager of Terre Avenir quarry, said instability in the river has severely affected operations. He reported that rising water levels submerged mechanised quarry equipment, forcing the suspension of activities and resulting in significant financial losses.

“The sand has become rare and expensive. We now have to travel to distant areas to obtain it, and transporting it to Yaounde has become extremely difficult,” he said.

He noted that the problem extends beyond the immediate communities. As locally available sand becomes more difficult to extract, transportation distances increase, raising costs for businesses and potentially affecting the construction supply chain.

Organisation salutes project, questions findings

For SYLAD official, Ndjobang Albert, the controversy is not about rejecting infrastructure development. He acknowledged the government’s development objectives but questioned whether sufficient attention was given to the social and environmental consequences for downstream communities before the dam was constructed.

According to Ndjobang, a comprehensive environmental and social impact assessment covering the Upper Sanaga corridor could have identified the risks to fishermen, farmers, traders and sand collectors and established measures to protect or replace affected livelihoods.

“The project itself is not bad. But the populations must be listened to. We simply want dialogue so that solutions can be found,” he said. 

He noted that there is need to look into major infrastructure projects which can generate national benefits while simultaneously creating concentrated costs for communities living closest to the project.

For affected residents, the demand is therefore not necessarily for the reversal of the project but for mechanisms that ensure they are not left to bear its consequences alone.

Close to ten years without adequate follow-up

DYPADEL Executive Secretary, Aristide Narcisse Atchomi, through the advocacy campaign carried out by the organisation believes the problem has been compounded by insufficient follow-up. 

He argued that nearly ten years after the Dam became operational; the environmental and social study expected for downstream areas has still not been adequately carried out.

“Nearly ten years after the dam became operational; the environmental and social study planned for downstream areas has still not been carried out. What we see today is a drastic decline in livelihoods, new diseases and widespread poverty,” he stated.

He insisted on the need for post-construction phase of major infrastructure projects. While environmental and social assessments are generally intended to identify risks and mitigation measures, the organisations argue that monitoring should not end once construction is completed.

They called for updated studies capable of documenting what has happened to communities since the Dam became operational. This, they said will identifying practical measures to address emerging problems.

From compensation to sustainable alternatives

Atchomi stressed that the advocacy campaign is not intended to condemn the Lom Pangar project. Rather, he said it seeks to ensure that economic development is accompanied by social and environmental responsibility.

The organisations calling went further to government, project stakeholders and donors, particularly Electricity Development Corporation, EDC, to undertake the necessary environmental and social studies and support affected populations.

Such support, they argue, should include livelihood restoration, skills development, assistance to vulnerable households and measures to improve community safety around the river.

For communities such as Mengué, Mekone III, Ekone, Badja, Nangmana, Ngoney, Bifogo, Bakeng, Ndokoa, Mbandjock and Megangmé, the debate is no longer simply about electricity production. They said it is about livelihoods, food security, safety and the right to participate in decisions affecting their future.

The concerns raised also underline the importance of consultation. Communities that have lived beside the Sanaga for generations possess practical knowledge of the river, its seasonal patterns and the economic activities dependent on it. 

Bringing that knowledge into decision-making could help identify risks that may not be immediately visible from technical assessments alone.

For DYPADEL and SYLAD, the first step is dialogue. Their appeal is for the government, EDC, donors and other stakeholders to return to the communities, listen to their experiences and establish evidence-based solutions.

Almost a decade after Lom Pangar transformed the management of the Sanaga residents say they are still waiting for the promised development benefits to translate into improved living conditions.

EDC says respects to standards

Reacting to the barrage of concerns raised, an official of the EDC who spoke on condition because he was not authorised to comment said the company respects standards.

Our source noted that the downstream impact and other issues such as water releases and filling were clearly identified. The official noted that constant communication is always done and appropriate measures always taken. 

The same situation, the official added is what is done for other dams under EDC control across the country. Our respondent also disclosed that the EDC is planning to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with MTN to implement another systematic SMS assistance.
The goal, the official noted, is to inform people during the opening period to avoid all forms of discomfort.  

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3919 of Thursday September 24, 2026