Industrial sand mining on the Tiko estuary of Cameroon and its impacts on riparian community

Tiko is known for its fertile azonal soils of volcanic and fluvial origin that supports the growth of banana, palm and rubber by agro-base corporations. Being a low lying region, Tiko estuary is drained by numerous water bodies, with river Mungo being the most outstanding. This has enabled the deposition of sand that serves as an important resource for infrastructural development. Technology has encouraged exploiters to embark on industrial extraction of this highly demanded non-ferrous mineral. This study identifies and locates the areas of industrial sand exploitation, x-ray the extraction method, determine output and analyse the impact of the activity on the environment using a triangulation approach in sourcing data, it was observed that between 2012 and 2018, nine companies were involved in industrial sand mining with a mean production of 74,556 m3 and 100,319,500 FCFA paid as taxes. Recommendations have been proposed to ensure the sustainability of the activity.