Tcheutchoua Talla Eric¹, Djomo Nana Eric^{2, 3,}, Kamgaing Théophile⁴

Urban rivers play important roles in providing water resources for human, and ecosystem survival. Urban river water quality is therefore an important parameter that must be monitored. The lack of appropriate basic urban infrastructures, coupled to the rapidly increasing human populations in tropical cities, has led to an advanced state of pollution of these cities. The aim of this study was to assess the water quality of an urban river water body of the metropolitan city of Douala. We collected water samples both upstream, and downstream of a major saop manufacturing industry. We determined the water quality index (WQI), and tested for an association of this water pollutants with waterborne diseases in the area. The river was highly polluted, and the concentrations of pollutants (WQI usptream = 16.2; downstream =11.9) were very much higher than the standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WQI = 99.2). There was a very significant association between the polluted water, and waterborne diseases. We advocate taugher pollution control measures to stop the deterioration as cumulitive effects of environmental degredation are extremely difficult to reverse.

poor urban infrastructure, polluted urban river, waterborne diseases, Douala