Environment & Ecosystem Science (EES)

Rainfall in coastal areas is influenced by exposure to the ocean, while the climates of the interiors are influenced by continentality. The paper bridges some methodological gaps in previous studies on Cameroon’s rainfall that emphasized interannual variability without any indices between ecological zones. The objective of this study is to compare the rainfall reliability of Douala and Ndu. Ground surface measures of mean monthly rainfall data were collected from the National Meteorological Service (Douala) and the Cameroon Tea Estate Plantation, Ndu for 60 years (1957-2016). The data were analysed using monthly averages, interannual and decadal trends, Standard Deviation (SD), Coefficient of Variation (CV) and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Results revealed that the mean annual rainfall is 305.33 mm and 165.04 mm for Douala and Ndu, respectively. The interannual rainfall trend decline is steeper in Douala than in Ndu. Both stations show more dry weather conditions than the anticipated wet conditions, viz, 24 episodes of mild dryness (40%), moderate dryness 3(5%), severe dryness 3(5%) and extreme dryness 2 (3.33%) in Douala; while Ndu showed 23 episodes of mild dryness (38.33%), moderate dryness 7 (11.67%) and 1 incident of extreme dryness (1.67%). This gives 53.33% and 51.67% dry episodes for Douala and Ndu respectively. Despite these recurrent agro-meteorological droughts, rainfall is still reliable with CVs of 14.67% and 13.09% for Douala and Ndu respectively. These dynamics have implications for water-related developments. The populations are called upon to embrace sustainable environmental practices that can enhance rainfall as climate change is looming.