Abstract

Rapid urban growth and industrial abattoir operations are transforming urban landscapes and posing significant public health risks in Cameroon. This study integrates four decades of satellite-derived Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) analysis, laboratory water quality assessments, and community surveys to evaluate environmental and health impacts around abattoirs in Douala and Yaoundé. Findings reveal that both sites experienced over 75% loss of green space alongside rapid expansion of built-up and agricultural land. Water quality consistently failed World Health Organization (WHO) standards, with coliform counts thousands of times above safe limits and all samples classified as “Very Poor” by the Water Quality Index. Community perceptions strongly align with these results, reporting widespread pollution and increased health concerns. This spatially explicit, mixed-methods approach demonstrates that unchecked urbanization and inadequate waste management create pollution hotspots and health risks. Coordinated policy enforcement, infrastructure investment, and community engagement are urgently needed. The framework developed offers a replicable model for sustainable urban environmental management in rapidly growing cities

Keywords: Urbanization; Land Use/Land Cover change; Water quality; Abattoirs; Public health; Cameroon; Environmental pollution; Mixed-methods