Community Adaptation Strategies for Landslide Disasters in Urban Cameroon: Adoption, Effectiveness, and Constraints in Yaoundé

Abstract: Landslide disasters represent an increasing geohazard in Yaoundé, Cameroon, driven by intense seasonal rainfall, steep terrain, rapid unplanned urbanisation, and pronounced socio-economic vulnerabilities. Despite a rising trend in landslides, including the 2023 Mbankolo disaster, the adoption and effectiveness of community adaptation strategies remain insufficiently evaluated. Using mixed-methods primary data from 250 household questionnaires, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews collected across six subdivisions of Mfoundi  (2024–2025), this study systematically assesses structural and non-structural adaptation and mitigation measures. The community perceives reforestation as the most successful measure (91%) but exhibits low adoption (26%), highlighting a critical policy paradox. 70% of respondents report a lack of access to early warning systems, while 75% cite financial constraints and inadequate government intervention as primary barriers. The study documents a range of community-improvised strategies, such as sandbags, and elevated foundations, which demonstrate local adaptive capacity under resource scarcity. The findings confirm that landslide adaptation in Yaoundé is limited by structural inequalities and governance failures rather than a lack of community initiative.  Recommendations are presented for scaling reforestation, institutionalising early warning, and integrating community-based DRR into formal planning, in alignment with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction  and SDGs 1, 11, and 13.