Abstract
Sedimentation of the reservoir has been recognized as a major consequence of land degradation and erosion in the watershed. The objective of this paper was to determine the benefits of soil conservation practices on hydroelectric power generation at Lake Lagdo located in the northern part of Cameroon during the 1984–2009 period, using the damage function approach. The first step of the analysis was to estimate the physical effect of environmental change on soil erosion considering different land management practices. In the second step, the quantitative link between lake sedimentation and its effects on the storage capacity of the reservoir was established. Finally, the economic value of the impact was determined. The results show that the loss of direct storage capacity of the reservoir due to sedimentation, which increased the costs of electricity production. The annual average sedimentation of around 40.80 million cubic meters across the reservoir reduced total reservoir capacity by around 0.9%. Measures to reduce soil erosion include payments to landowners as powerful incentives for promoting environmentally friendly land-use practices that help to sustain ecosystem services (PES). The study illustrated very well the demand for a Nexus Approach looking at interdependencies, in this case between the agricultural and energy sectors.
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Notes
- 1.
Exchange rate (2018): 1 USD = 555.75 CFA francs.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank the coordination of the Water-Soil-Tree Project in Garoua, for the financial support and the provision of materials. The authors also would like to thank the Study Mission for Planning and Development of the Northern Province without whose support this work could not have been completed.
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Ngondjeb, D.Y., Ayuk, E. (2021). Economic Valuation of Environmental Services Associated with Agriculture in the Watershed of Lake Lagdo, Cameroon. In: Hülsmann, S., Jampani, M. (eds) A Nexus Approach for Sustainable Development . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57530-4_7
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