Factors contributing to poor community participation in management of water resources: A case of Mungonya sub-catchment in Kigoma district, Tanzania
Loading...
Date
2018
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Mzumbe University
Abstract
The study investigated factors that contribute to poor community participation in Water Resource Management (WRM) in the Mungonya Sub-catchment. Specifically, the study focused on the nature of participation in WRM among Mungonya community members, the level of knowledge and perceptions of Mungonya community members about WRM contributing to poor community participation in WRM, individual factors contributing to poor community participation in WRM and the institutional factors contributing to poor community participation in WRM. The study was done in four villages in Kigoma District Council. A descriptive case study design was used to get a sample size of 140 respondents. However, by the end of data collection, the study managed to analyse 130 questionnaire and 6 interview guides from key informants. Both purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were employed in sample selection. The study used a questionnaire, interview checklists, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) guide, observation checklist and documentary review methods of data collection. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively using measures of central tendency including frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20, and presented by using tables and figures. Qualitative data were analysed by using content analysis technique.
The study found that there was a relatively low level of community participation in WRM in the Mungonya Sub-catchment by 55.4%. This is a surprising finding considering the many efforts at both policy and practice level from the national government offered to the local governments to conserve local water resources. The nature of community participation in WRM from being more voluntary than policy tied was found to be a leading factor that contributes to this problem. This in turn, demonstrates a disparity between the established Water Resources Management Act of 2009 at the national level and its actual implementation at lower levels of the society such as in water catchment resources where the effective community participation culture is yet to be entrenched despite having a fair level of knowledge in WRM. Several stereotypical images such as: water is a free gift given by God; and water is an infinite resource was among the individual factors that had some implication on the willingness to practice in WRM. The study also observed a number of individual factors that contributed to a relative low level of community participation in Water Resource Management (WRM). The study concludes that there is indeed a need to reverse WRM practices from being more voluntary to a policy tied practice that accommodates both individual and institutional factors. The study offers several recommendations including provision of training and sensitization to raise community consciousness and awareness of environment and WRM as well as allocate sufficient budget to LTBWB for it to play its required roles.
Description
A Dissertation Submitted to the Institute of Development Studies in Partial/Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Science in Development Policy (MSc. DP) of Mzumbe University
Keywords
Citation
APA