Dibamba River
Encyclopedia
The Dibamba River is in the Littoral Region of southern Cameroon
, emptying into the Cameroon estuary near the city of Doula
.
At its mouth, the river is tidal, and flows into the estuary through mangrove forests that extend south from Doualla to Point Souelaba.
Near Douala, the river is crossed by a 370 metres (1,213.9 ft) T-section girder road bridge built of precast, prestressed concrete in 1983 - 1984.
, who today inhabit the region in and around the city of Douala, moved to their present-day location from Piti on the Dibamba river, displacing Bassa-Bakoko cultivators. Duala traditions say they are descendants of Mbedi, son of Mbongo, who lived in Piti.
Monneba
was a Duala leader on the Cameroon coast in the 1630s, engaged in trading in ivory and slaves with the Europeans.
Dutch maps from the 1650s place Monneba's name on the Dibamba River, which is called Monneba's Creek or Channel (Monnebasa Gat).
The Dibamba was the scene of naval hostilities during World War I
, when Commander Ralph Stuart Sneyd engaged and sank a large German launch on 10 September, 1914, and drove the enemy out of their post at Piti.
have been identified, some of which are caused by the pollution.
Further inland, there are still some patches of permanent swamp forest on the river, but many others have been cleared and drained for oil palm plantation. The fauna of river are not well protected. The African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) is endangered.
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, emptying into the Cameroon estuary near the city of Doula
Doula
A Doula is someone who provides non-medical support to women and their families during labour and childbirth, and also the postpartum period. The term can also be used to describe other supportive roles for other life events such as abortion, death and more....
.
Location
The Dibamba river has a length of 150 kilometres (93.2 mi) and a catchment area of 2400 square kilometres (926.6 sq mi). Average discharge at the river mouth is 480 cubic meters per second.At its mouth, the river is tidal, and flows into the estuary through mangrove forests that extend south from Doualla to Point Souelaba.
Near Douala, the river is crossed by a 370 metres (1,213.9 ft) T-section girder road bridge built of precast, prestressed concrete in 1983 - 1984.
History
The Duala peopleDuala people
The Duala are an ethnic group of Cameroon. They primarily inhabit the littoral region to the coast and form a portion of the Sawa, or Cameroonian coastal peoples...
, who today inhabit the region in and around the city of Douala, moved to their present-day location from Piti on the Dibamba river, displacing Bassa-Bakoko cultivators. Duala traditions say they are descendants of Mbedi, son of Mbongo, who lived in Piti.
Monneba
Monneba
Monneba, also spelled Moneba and other ways, was a local Duala leader on the Cameroon coast in the 1630s. Dutch sources from the 1660s say that Monneba ran a trading post on the Cameroons River at the present location of Douala. His people dealt primarily in ivory, with some slaves...
was a Duala leader on the Cameroon coast in the 1630s, engaged in trading in ivory and slaves with the Europeans.
Dutch maps from the 1650s place Monneba's name on the Dibamba River, which is called Monneba's Creek or Channel (Monnebasa Gat).
The Dibamba was the scene of naval hostilities during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, when Commander Ralph Stuart Sneyd engaged and sank a large German launch on 10 September, 1914, and drove the enemy out of their post at Piti.
Environmental issues
Douala's Bassa industrial zone ends in the estuarine creek formation of the Dibamba River, discharging pollutants. The wetlands are quickly being colonized by invasive species, and a great number of phytoplanktonPhytoplankton
Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν , meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye...
have been identified, some of which are caused by the pollution.
Further inland, there are still some patches of permanent swamp forest on the river, but many others have been cleared and drained for oil palm plantation. The fauna of river are not well protected. The African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis) is endangered.