Japanese scientists and other experts have declared Lakes Nyos in the Northwest and Monoun in the West Region safe after 30 years of monitoring and degassing.
By Ndimuh Bertrand Shancho
The experts made the declaration in Yaounde during a press briefing organised by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, JICA.
Prof. Minirou of Toyama University, Japan, working with the JICA, just like other scientists, who have been monitoring volcanic activities in Lakes Monoun and Nyos since 2011, said both Lakes have been degassed at 90% and are safe for habitation.
It was also disclosed that unlike most natural hazards, a directed mitigation measure is being carried out to avoid future disasters at these lakes.
“The solution is to degas the lakes through controlled piping of gas-rich bottom water to the lake surface where the gas is released harmlessly to the atmosphere in low concentrations,” the scientists said.
After years of scientific monitoring of volcanic activities under the lakes, the Japanese experts handed over to nine Cameroonian scientists who were trained in Japan to continue with the project.
Prof. Minirou, however, cautioned that the Cameroonian scientists musk keep monitoring the lakes at least once a year, given that carbon dioxide is emitted at all times.
Other results from the 30-years of monitoring include but not limited to the transfer of knowledge and techniques for lake monitoring, understanding of automatic monitoring systems, hydrological and microbiological assessment of ground water and the organisation of several workshops.
It should be recalled that Monoun Lake experienced a gas explosion on August 15, 1984, which killed 37 persons and induced other damages. Two years later (August 21, 1986) a similar disaster took place in Lake Nyos killing 1,746 persons and 8,000 livestock, as well as displacing 3,500.
Both disasters were scientifically attributed to the accumulation of magmatic carbon dioxide in deep waters.
