The Littoral zone of Douala in Cameroon depicts an interesting physiography dominated
by hydro-geomorphic characteristics of immense sustainable potentials to its teeming
urban human population growth. The Douala coastal lagoon complex is easily the
dominant feature with richly endowed natural and socio-economic resources along the
littoral zone of Cameroon. It is fed mainly by the River Wouri, evolving a maze of creeks
and lagoons about 50km from the Atlantic Ocean, with its largest surface extent north of
Bonaberi, to the north west of metropolitan Douala. The Douala lagoon system describes a
major consequence of the Tertiary to Early Quaternary period, particularly of the
Holocene marine transgressions, which witnessed the drowning of the estuarine system of
the River Wouri. This expansive lagoon system of Douala today is being inflicted with
hydro-geomorphic changes due to rapid urbanization on the fragile land-water ecosystem.
The land-water ecosystem of lagoon-creeks inlets, tidal mud flats, estuaries, mangroves
and wetlands, which provide critical coastal habitats for socio-economic activities now
face destruction due to increased spatial growth of the Douala metropolitan area. Easily
the most urbanized center in Cameroon, metropolitan Douala has witnessed extensive
spatial expansion, which has provoked certain observable environmental problems on the
lagoon complex and the wetlands. These are in form of reclamation for expansion of urban
sprawls, wetland conversion for industrial infrastructure and development with resultant
increased discharge of effluents. In spite of the limitations and restrictions imposed by the
lagoon water surface and the difficult terrain of its marginal lowlands describing wetlands,
it appears that the rate of interference would continue unabated. The effects of these has
seen impaired water quality in the contamination of surface and ground water sources,
public health hazards, wetland loss, subsidence, flooding etc.