Environmental crisis in Kribi: Coastal erosion posing threats to livelihoods.

Yet beneath the idyllic image of Kribi lies a troubling reality. Kribi today stands among the country’s most fragile locations, grappling with a coastal erosion crisis that is steadily reshaping its shoreline, disrupting ecosystems, and threatening lives and livelihoods.

This is status quo further compounded by a number of factors that have seen the day of light in recent times. For instance, the high rate of deforestation in the area. 

Stressing on this phenomenon, Colonel Ebogo Anaga Benjamin Pascal, a Syculture engineer and General Director of National Forestry Development Agency, ANAFOR, for the Littoral and South West Region, with its headquarters based in Kribi. 

He expatiates the critical role forest management and ecosystem protection play in mitigating environmental degradation. 

“Forests, especially mangroves and coastal vegetation, act as natural barriers against erosion by stabilising soil and reducing the force of waves,” he said, adding that “deforestation in and around Kribi has weakened these natural defenses”. 

This can be noticed with the different constructions that have been launched in Kribi in recent years, as the town gradually transforms its infrastructure, with the biggest of them being the Kribi Deep Seaport. 

Colonel Ebogo explained that there could be a remedy if the country had enough trained professionals to adequately manage and protect these sensitive ecosystems, leaving coastal areas increasingly exposed.

Throwing more light on this, the Ocean Divisional Delegate of the Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Sustainable Development, MINEPDED, a key institution responsible for formulating and implementing Cameroon’s environmental policies, Haman Benjamin, emphasised that coastal erosion in Kribi is not an isolated phenomenon. 

He said coastal erosion forms part of a larger pattern of climate-related challenges affecting the country, from flooding in urban centres to desertification in the north.

Haman Benjamin explains the different types of beaches found along Kribi’s coastline and the specific problems plaguing them. Among the most damaging human activities, he says, is the extraction of sand from coastal waters. 

“It is a practice that directly accelerates erosion by removing the very material that forms and protects beaches,” Haman said. 

Both the authorities and inhabitants confessed that these environmental pressures have far-reaching consequences linked to coastal erosion, particularly for fishing communities. 

Ironically, Kribi, a coastal town by definition, is gradually witnessing fish scarcity. Overfishing, destructive fishing methods, sand mining, and ecosystem degradation have combined with natural factors such as changing ocean currents and sea-level rise to disrupt marine life. Fisherfolks explained that fish availability now varies sharply by season, with some periods yielding painfully low catches. 

In extreme cases, traders are forced to travel as far as Youpwè in Douala to purchase fish in bulk, returning to Kribi to resell, an expensive and exhausting cycle that highlights how deeply the crisis has affected local livelihoods.

Nevertheless, another painful aspect of coastal erosion demands attention: human casualties. In recent times, Kribi’s coastline has been the scene of tragic incidents involving students, visitors, and families who lost their lives in the waters. These deaths have become the talk of the town. Residents explained that many victims are visitors unfamiliar with the sea’s behaviour, unable to distinguish between safe and dangerous swimming conditions. 

This is because the erosion alters wave patterns and underwater terrain, making the ocean far more unpredictable and treacherous than it appears from the shore.

Realities on ground

Field visits to some of Kribi’s most renowned tourist sites, notably Ngoye and Londji, revealed just how severe the problem has become. 

These sites, once symbols of the town’s natural beauty and tourism potential, now sit at the centre of the erosion crisis. During the rainy season, conditions worsen dramatically, the inhabitants said. 

Rising water levels and stronger waves force residents living near the beach to retreat further inland. Many families testified that over the years, they have been compelled to relocate multiple times as the sea steadily encroaches on their homes.

For communities whose lives revolve around fishing, relocation is not just an inconvenience; it is an existential threat. 

“Fishing in Kribi is more than an occupation,” a community leader, and veteran fisherman, Eboua Yves stated. 

“It is a culture, a tradition passed down through generations, and the principal source of income for many households,” he added, further explaining that “both young and old take to the sea, some eventually moving on to other careers, but many remaining tied to fishing for life. Any disruption to this activity reverberates throughout the community”. 

Unfortunately, coastal erosion is in the picture. The phenomenon, driven by both human and natural factors, continues to erode not just the land but also the social fabric of the community.

Factors contributing to coastal erosion 

Human factors such as harmful fishing techniques, sand mining, and deforestation combine with natural forces like sea-level rise, powerful waves, and shifting ocean currents to accelerate the crisis. 

Recognising the urgency of the situation, the state and various non-governmental organisations including the African Marine Mammal Conservation Organisation, AMMCO, are stepping up efforts to curb the problem. 

These initiatives include sensitising local populations about environmental protection and implementing projects aimed at serving as palliatives, particularly against natural factors beyond human control, with institutions such as the Institute for Agricultural Research for Development, IRAD, also taking the bull by the horn, by carrying out research programmes and community-centered initiatives to school the inhabitants on the way forward to conserving their natural resources and fighting against coastal erosion.

However, in spite of all the efforts made so far, authorities and researchers said preserving the coastal town will require coordinated action, blending policy, science, community engagement, and sustainable practices, to ensure that Kribi remains not just a postcard image, but a livable home for generations to come.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3668 of Friday January 09, 2026