Cameroon Startup Uses AI and Drones to Prevent Urban Floods

Juveline Ngum Ngwa grew up breathing smoke from burning trash in Bamenda, Cameroon, developing respiratory problems that would shape her future. In 2019, she founded BleagLee Waste Management to solve the problem threatening fast-growing African cities: blocked drains that turn rainstorms into devastating floods.

In Douala, Cameroon's economic hub, plastic bottles and household waste clog canals and waterways every day. When heavy rains come, the blocked channels trap water instead of draining it, flooding neighborhoods and exposing families to contaminated water that spreads disease.

BleagLee's solution sounds like science fiction but works in real time. Drones fly over the city mapping trouble spots, while AI software analyzes the images to predict which blocked drains will cause the worst flooding. Ground teams then clear those priority areas before the next rainfall, protecting entire communities from disaster.

The approach treats waste collection as climate protection, job creation, and business opportunity all at once. Through the Waste2Rewards app, residents can request pickups and pay collectors through mobile money, while recovered materials go to recycling companies or get transformed into eco-charcoal briquettes and soil boosters.

Support from the Youth Adaptation Solutions Challenge turbocharged the model. BleagLee built a processing plant, bought two trucks, and trained 200 new waste collectors. The workforce jumped from 31 to 124 people, revenue grew 181%, and recycled waste tripled.

The company has trained over 4,200 vulnerable households in proper waste separation and disposal practices that reduce flood risks and protect public health. These aren't just collection clients but active participants in keeping their neighborhoods safe and dry.

The Ripple Effect

BleagLee's success is spreading beyond Cameroon's borders. The company won $50,000 from the ClimaTech Run competition, $400,000 from the World Food Programme, and a $1 million Milken-Motsepe Prize in AI and Manufacturing.

That funding is powering expansion to Dakar, Senegal, where the same AI mapping technology is identifying plastic waste hotspots and optimizing collection routes. Plans include partnerships with more municipalities across Douala, Yaoundé, and other growing cities where blocked drains threaten lives and livelihoods.

The model proves African innovators are solving African challenges with world-class technology. Ngwa turned childhood illness into a business that prevents floods, creates jobs, and keeps waste out of the environment where it causes the most harm.

From respiratory problems to revenue growth, from blocked drains to climate resilience, one woman's vision is flowing through cities across West Africa.