An Assessment of Household Potable Water Supply Adaptation Mechanisms to Climate Variability in the Rapidly Urbanising Santa, North West Region, Cameroon

Climate variability induced inaccessibility to potable water supply has become a cardinal issue striking most households in rapidly urbanising environments. The study aimed at examining the impacts of climate variability on potable water supply and household coping strategies within the burgeoning Santa town. This investigatory study adopted the mixed research design combining quantitative and qualitative methods in data sourcing and analysis. Primary data were obtained through questionnaires administered to 250 households, focus group discussions and interviews complemented with direct field observations and measurements on water supply sources, as well as NASA climatic data base while secondary data were obtained from published related articles, magazines and newspapers and archives of institutions. Results from the descriptively and inferentially analysed data with SPSS version 19 and Excel version 20; revealed significant coefficients of variations for rainfall over the years being higher for the dry season months (41.98%) than the rainy season (17.91%) with an overall declining rainfall totals; lower secular variations (0.94%) in temperatures but with rising trends. Remarkable drop in the water yield of highly foraged potable water sources such as streams, wells and public taps have been recorded with far reaching implications on household domestic routines, with women and children being the most affected. As a survival option, women and children wake up as early as 4 am to access active water points for potable water for their homes, and the imposition of strict water rationing systems often at the expense of personal hygiene and household sanitation. This study concludes that the potable water supply system of Santa Urban is highly vulnerable to the caprices of the deepening climate variability and recommends that current isolated artisanal measures of harnessing the diverse water sources, water recycling and rainwater harvesting techniques, should be federated into an integrated sustainable potable water supply system.