ASSESSING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY MANAGEMENT IN RURAL AREAS: A CASE STUDY OF GAIRO DISTRICT COUNCIL, TANZANIA

Abstract

Globally, community participation and sustainability of rural water supply projects have been major concerns. This study looked at the assessment of community involvement for sustainable water supply management in Gairo district council, Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed to assess the levels of community involvement in water supply projects in different phases, identify social-economic, policy, environmental, and management factors that affect sustainable water supply management, and determine the effect of community involvement on the sustainability of water supply management. Primary and secondary data were collected from the study area by considering various project management factors. Primary data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and observations. A total of 30 questionnaires were prepared and distributed to targeted community members and project staff in Gairo District. A total of 13 questions were also prepared for group discussion purpose. In the district, 50 project staff and 150 beneficiaries from each village were purposefully selected. The collected data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to visualize the result in various expression forms (frequencies, percentages, correlations, and significant values). Correlation and significant values were performed to assess social, environmental, economic and management factors that affect sustainable water supply project management. The results indicate that age, education level, cost of water, quality of water, distance to water sources, and specialized training had a negative influence on the probability of households participating in water supply projects. However, the study identified policy, environmental, and management factors that affect positively sustainable water supply project management. The study indicated that 40.7% of respondents reported the regulatory framework as a policy problem. The study indicated 48.7% of respondents reported climate change impact as the main environmental problem. Adapting water supply projects to climate change considerations is crucial for their long term viability. Lastly, the study indicated that 50.7% of respondents reported operation and maintenance as the main management water project-related problems. Overall, based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that community involvement in Gairo District water supply management is crucial for sustainability and long-term benefits. The researcher recommends that community members have to be actively involved in decision-making at all stages of water supply project to ensure sustainability