Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon

Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi; Ndi Humphrey Ngala; Essame Ewoba Serge Alain

doi:doi:10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12

| Peer-Reviewed

Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon

Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi, Ndi Humphrey Ngala, Essame Ewoba Serge Alain

Published in Urban and Regional Planning (Volume 1, Issue 3)

Received: 30 July 2016 Accepted: 8 August 2016 Published: 18 September 2016

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

Sub Saharan Africa’s economic meltdown which could be traced from the 1980s had a toll on export agriculture which served as a springboard for some urban economies. Such an economic malaise was greeted by a loss of urban vitality leading to urban decline. Ever since this unwanted phenomenon crept into the urban scene, urban geographers have largely focused on analyzing the processes leading to urban decline with a view of suggesting ways of revitalizing the urban environment. However, an important aspect which seemed to have eluded urban geographical literature or better still remains insufficient, concerns scientific perspectives on the livelihood survival strategies employed by urban residents in the face of decline. This is particularly true for the historic town of Nkongsamba which was hitherto ranked among the leading towns in Cameroon. The town witnessed a significant decline in its vitality which is largely attributed to the decline in the crop (coffee) export sector. This has precipitated the introduction of alternative livelihood survival strategies by the urban residents. Using a systematic sampling of 120 respondents drawn from the diverse livelihood sectors, complemented by in-depth interviews, field observations and secondary data, we analyse the current livelihood survival strategies of the population and their future perspectives. Our analysis lead us to the conclusion that the numerous livelihood strategies adopted (a switch to activities such as commercial motorbike riding, street food vending, urban agriculture, sales at kiosks, among others) are still makeshift in nature and are largely constrained by livelihood assets. In this regard, there is a need for urban development stakeholders to undertake participatory urban development project design and implementation which will help the town regain its economic vibrancy, very much reminiscent of the crop export years.

Published in	Urban and Regional Planning (Volume 1, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12
Page(s)	59-67
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2016. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Livelihood Strategies, Assets, Declining Towns, Sub Saharan Africa, Nkongsamba

References

[1]	Acioly Jr., C. C., Edelman, D. and Procee, P. (1997): Sustainable Urban Development and the Urban Poor in Rio de Janeiro. paper prepared for the Conference The Challenge of Environmental Management in Metropolitan Areas’, University of London, page 14.
[2]	Agbortoko, M. A. (2010): An Urban Development Appraisal of Nkongsamba, Littoral Region, Cameroon. Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Geography, University of Buea.
[3]	Bradbury, K. L., Downs, A. and Small, K. A. (2008): Forty Theories of Urban Decline. Journal of Urban Affairs, Volume 3, Issue 2, pages 13–20, Version of Record online: 14 FEB 2008 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9906.1981.tb00007.
[4]	Chambers, R. and Conway, R. (1992): Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: Practical Concepts for the 21^st Century. IDS Discussion Brighton, Institute of Development Studies; Paper No. 296, page 156.
[5]	Colman, T. M. (2003): Survival strategies and Urban Development: The case of Kiosk in Moshi, Tanzania; human settlement Development. Vol 1, page 115-161.
[6]	Parkinson, M., Meegan, R., Karecha, J., Evans, R. & Jones, G. (2012): Second Tier Cities in Europe: In an Age of Austerity, Why Invest Beyond the Capitals? Liverpool John Moores University.
[7]	Ellis, F. (2000): The determinants of rural livelihood diversification in developing countries. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 51 (2), 289-302.
[8]	Enriquez, R. (2001): Social Networks and Urban Poverty. Development and Society, Vol. 30 No. 2, December 2001, Pp. 41~56.
[9]	Friedrichs, J. (1993): A Theory of Urban Decline: Economy, Demography and Political Elites", Urban Studies, Vol. 30, No. 6, 907-917.
[10]	Fol, S. (2010): Déclin urbain et Shrinking Cities: une évaluation critique des approches de la décroissance urbaine», Les Annales de Géographie, N° 674, 359-383.
[11]	Fombe, L. (2012): Housing Dynamics and Informal Businesses in Built-Up Areas of Major Cities in Cameroon. Journal of Human Ecology, Vol. 40, No. 2; pp 167-175.
[12]	Fombe, L. F. and Fogwe, Z. N. (2000): Urban housing infrastructure: Renewal strategies and implications in the Bonaberi suburban area-Douala. In: CM Lambi CM, Eze Bassey (Eds.): Readings in Geography. Bamenda: Maryland Printers, P. 66.
[13]	Geoff, H. (2009): Poverty and Poverty Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Overview of Key Issues. Working Paper 299; Overseas Development Institute; 111 Westminster Bridge Road London; SE1 7JD, pp 212-231.
[14]	Grown, C. and Sebstad, J. (1989): Introduction. Towards a wider perspective on women’s employment, World Development, Vol. 17, no. 7, pp. 937-952.
[15]	Hart, K. (2010): Informal Economy: A Citizen’s Guide. Polity Press: Cambridge, pp 142-155.
[16]	Jean, B. C. (2012): Le déclin de communes de grand ensemble: effet de la forme urbaine ou de la ségrégation sociale? Thèse de Doctorat, Université de Lorraine, page 35- 37.
[17]	Latapo, A. E. and de la Rocha, M. G. (1995): Crisis, restructuring and urban poverty in Mexico, Environment and Urbanization, 7: 1, April, pp. 57-75.
[18]	Martinez- Fernandez, C. (2012): Shrinking Cities: Urban Challenges of Globalization », International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Vol. 36, N° 2, pp. 213-225.
[19]	Metasebia, S. M. (2009): Determinants of Livelihood Strategies of Urban Women: The Case of female households heads in Wolenchiti Town, Ethiopia. Kimmage Development studies Centre, Whitehall Road, Dublin 12, Ireland.
[20]	Miot, Y. (2012): Face à la décroissance urbaine, l’attractivité résidentielle? Le cas des villes de tradition industrielles de Mulhouse, Roubaix et Saint-Etienne, Thèse de Doctorat, Université de Lille 1.
[21]	Musyoki, A. and Orodho, J. (1993): Urban workers in the informal sector and economic change in Kenya in the 1980s. In: Gibbon P (ed), Social change and economic Africa, 106–33, Nordiska Afrikainstitutet: Uppsala.
[22]	Ojong, N. (2011): Livelihood Strategies in African Cities: The Case of Residents in Bamenda-Cameroon, African Review of Economics and Finance, Print Services, Rhodes University, Vol. 3, No. 1, page 18.
[23]	Owusu, F. (2007): Conceptualizing Livelihood Strategies in African Cities: Planning and Development Implications of Multiple Livelihood Strategies. Journal of Planning Education and Research, Vol. 26, pp. 450-465.
[24]	Schlyter, A. (1990): Women in Harare: Gender Aspects of Urban - Rural Interaction, in Baker, J., (1990), Small Town Africa: Studies in Rural-Urban Interaction, Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, Uppsala, Sweden
[25]	Turok, I. and Mykhnenko, V. (2007): The Trajectories of European Cities, 1960-2005. Cities, Vol. 24, N°3, page 165-182.
[26]	UNCHS (1996): Global Report on Human Settlements, Oxford: Oxford University Press for the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements.
[27]	UN-Habitat (2010): The State of African Cities. Nairobi: UN-Habitat.
[28]	Wratten, E. (1995): Conceptualizing urban poverty. Environment and Urbanization 7: 1, April, pp. 11-36.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi, Ndi Humphrey Ngala, Essame Ewoba Serge Alain. (2016). Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon. Urban and Regional Planning, 1(3), 59-67. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi; Ndi Humphrey Ngala; Essame Ewoba Serge Alain. Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon. Urban Reg. Plan. 2016, 1(3), 59-67. doi: 10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi, Ndi Humphrey Ngala, Essame Ewoba Serge Alain. Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon. Urban Reg Plan. 2016;1(3):59-67. doi: 10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12,
  author = {Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi and Ndi Humphrey Ngala and Essame Ewoba Serge Alain},
  title = {Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon},
  journal = {Urban and Regional Planning},
  volume = {1},
  number = {3},
  pages = {59-67},
  doi = {10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.urp.20160103.12},
  abstract = {Sub Saharan Africa’s economic meltdown which could be traced from the 1980s had a toll on export agriculture which served as a springboard for some urban economies. Such an economic malaise was greeted by a loss of urban vitality leading to urban decline. Ever since this unwanted phenomenon crept into the urban scene, urban geographers have largely focused on analyzing the processes leading to urban decline with a view of suggesting ways of revitalizing the urban environment. However, an important aspect which seemed to have eluded urban geographical literature or better still remains insufficient, concerns scientific perspectives on the livelihood survival strategies employed by urban residents in the face of decline. This is particularly true for the historic town of Nkongsamba which was hitherto ranked among the leading towns in Cameroon. The town witnessed a significant decline in its vitality which is largely attributed to the decline in the crop (coffee) export sector. This has precipitated the introduction of alternative livelihood survival strategies by the urban residents. Using a systematic sampling of 120 respondents drawn from the diverse livelihood sectors, complemented by in-depth interviews, field observations and secondary data, we analyse the current livelihood survival strategies of the population and their future perspectives. Our analysis lead us to the conclusion that the numerous livelihood strategies adopted (a switch to activities such as commercial motorbike riding, street food vending, urban agriculture, sales at kiosks, among others) are still makeshift in nature and are largely constrained by livelihood assets. In this regard, there is a need for urban development stakeholders to undertake participatory urban development project design and implementation which will help the town regain its economic vibrancy, very much reminiscent of the crop export years.},
 year = {2016}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon
AU  - Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi
AU  - Ndi Humphrey Ngala
AU  - Essame Ewoba Serge Alain
Y1  - 2016/09/18
PY  - 2016
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12
T2  - Urban and Regional Planning
JF  - Urban and Regional Planning
JO  - Urban and Regional Planning
SP  - 59
EP  - 67
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1697
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12
AB  - Sub Saharan Africa’s economic meltdown which could be traced from the 1980s had a toll on export agriculture which served as a springboard for some urban economies. Such an economic malaise was greeted by a loss of urban vitality leading to urban decline. Ever since this unwanted phenomenon crept into the urban scene, urban geographers have largely focused on analyzing the processes leading to urban decline with a view of suggesting ways of revitalizing the urban environment. However, an important aspect which seemed to have eluded urban geographical literature or better still remains insufficient, concerns scientific perspectives on the livelihood survival strategies employed by urban residents in the face of decline. This is particularly true for the historic town of Nkongsamba which was hitherto ranked among the leading towns in Cameroon. The town witnessed a significant decline in its vitality which is largely attributed to the decline in the crop (coffee) export sector. This has precipitated the introduction of alternative livelihood survival strategies by the urban residents. Using a systematic sampling of 120 respondents drawn from the diverse livelihood sectors, complemented by in-depth interviews, field observations and secondary data, we analyse the current livelihood survival strategies of the population and their future perspectives. Our analysis lead us to the conclusion that the numerous livelihood strategies adopted (a switch to activities such as commercial motorbike riding, street food vending, urban agriculture, sales at kiosks, among others) are still makeshift in nature and are largely constrained by livelihood assets. In this regard, there is a need for urban development stakeholders to undertake participatory urban development project design and implementation which will help the town regain its economic vibrancy, very much reminiscent of the crop export years.
VL  - 1
IS  - 3
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi

Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda, Cameroon
Ndi Humphrey Ngala

Department of Geography, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon
Essame Ewoba Serge Alain

Department of Geography, University of Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi, Ndi Humphrey Ngala, Essame Ewoba Serge Alain. (2016). Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon. Urban and Regional Planning, 1(3), 59-67. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi; Ndi Humphrey Ngala; Essame Ewoba Serge Alain. Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon. Urban Reg. Plan. 2016, 1(3), 59-67. doi: 10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi, Ndi Humphrey Ngala, Essame Ewoba Serge Alain. Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon. Urban Reg Plan. 2016;1(3):59-67. doi: 10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12,
  author = {Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi and Ndi Humphrey Ngala and Essame Ewoba Serge Alain},
  title = {Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon},
  journal = {Urban and Regional Planning},
  volume = {1},
  number = {3},
  pages = {59-67},
  doi = {10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.urp.20160103.12},
  abstract = {Sub Saharan Africa’s economic meltdown which could be traced from the 1980s had a toll on export agriculture which served as a springboard for some urban economies. Such an economic malaise was greeted by a loss of urban vitality leading to urban decline. Ever since this unwanted phenomenon crept into the urban scene, urban geographers have largely focused on analyzing the processes leading to urban decline with a view of suggesting ways of revitalizing the urban environment. However, an important aspect which seemed to have eluded urban geographical literature or better still remains insufficient, concerns scientific perspectives on the livelihood survival strategies employed by urban residents in the face of decline. This is particularly true for the historic town of Nkongsamba which was hitherto ranked among the leading towns in Cameroon. The town witnessed a significant decline in its vitality which is largely attributed to the decline in the crop (coffee) export sector. This has precipitated the introduction of alternative livelihood survival strategies by the urban residents. Using a systematic sampling of 120 respondents drawn from the diverse livelihood sectors, complemented by in-depth interviews, field observations and secondary data, we analyse the current livelihood survival strategies of the population and their future perspectives. Our analysis lead us to the conclusion that the numerous livelihood strategies adopted (a switch to activities such as commercial motorbike riding, street food vending, urban agriculture, sales at kiosks, among others) are still makeshift in nature and are largely constrained by livelihood assets. In this regard, there is a need for urban development stakeholders to undertake participatory urban development project design and implementation which will help the town regain its economic vibrancy, very much reminiscent of the crop export years.},
 year = {2016}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Livelihood Survival Strategies in Declining Towns of Sub Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nkongsamba, Cameroon
AU  - Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi
AU  - Ndi Humphrey Ngala
AU  - Essame Ewoba Serge Alain
Y1  - 2016/09/18
PY  - 2016
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12
T2  - Urban and Regional Planning
JF  - Urban and Regional Planning
JO  - Urban and Regional Planning
SP  - 59
EP  - 67
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-1697
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.urp.20160103.12
AB  - Sub Saharan Africa’s economic meltdown which could be traced from the 1980s had a toll on export agriculture which served as a springboard for some urban economies. Such an economic malaise was greeted by a loss of urban vitality leading to urban decline. Ever since this unwanted phenomenon crept into the urban scene, urban geographers have largely focused on analyzing the processes leading to urban decline with a view of suggesting ways of revitalizing the urban environment. However, an important aspect which seemed to have eluded urban geographical literature or better still remains insufficient, concerns scientific perspectives on the livelihood survival strategies employed by urban residents in the face of decline. This is particularly true for the historic town of Nkongsamba which was hitherto ranked among the leading towns in Cameroon. The town witnessed a significant decline in its vitality which is largely attributed to the decline in the crop (coffee) export sector. This has precipitated the introduction of alternative livelihood survival strategies by the urban residents. Using a systematic sampling of 120 respondents drawn from the diverse livelihood sectors, complemented by in-depth interviews, field observations and secondary data, we analyse the current livelihood survival strategies of the population and their future perspectives. Our analysis lead us to the conclusion that the numerous livelihood strategies adopted (a switch to activities such as commercial motorbike riding, street food vending, urban agriculture, sales at kiosks, among others) are still makeshift in nature and are largely constrained by livelihood assets. In this regard, there is a need for urban development stakeholders to undertake participatory urban development project design and implementation which will help the town regain its economic vibrancy, very much reminiscent of the crop export years.
VL  - 1
IS  - 3
ER  -

Copy | Download