ASSESSMENT OF WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG SELECTED ADULT RURAL DWELLERS IN TAKUM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

Gemson George Simon¹ and Gideon Stella Danjuma²

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to assess the water management practices among selected adult rural dwellers in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria. In order to accomplish the purpose of the study, three specific objectives with corresponding research questions were formulated and two null hypotheses were postulated to guide the study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance at the appropriate degree of freedom. The population of the study consisted of 500 rural dwellers in Takum Local Government Area. Multistage sampling procedure with appropriate techniques were used to draw 217 respondents which were used for the study. The instrument for data collection used in the study was the researchers’-designed questionnaire. Frequencies and percentages were used to answer the research questions while chi-square statistic was used to test all the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance and at the appropriate degree of freedom. The findings of the study revealed that: a high proportion of rural dwellers used all the available sources of water, also, a high proportion of rural dwellers used all the water collection practices, while another high proportion of rural dwellers adopted all the water storage practices. The study recommended among other things that: the Taraba State Government and Local Authorities should prioritize the provision of adequate water supply infrastructure, including boreholes, wells, and piped water systems, to ensure that rural dwellers have access to safe and clean water. Rural dwellers should be informed, enlightened, educated and conscioustized on the importance of water conservation practices, such as fixing leakages, using water-efficient appliances, and harvesting rainwater, to reduce water waste and optimize water use. Regular water quality monitoring should be conducted to ensure that water sources are safe and free from contamination. This can be archived through the establishment of water quality monitoring stations and the training of local water quality monitors and Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Approach. The CLTS approach should be adopted to promote sanitation and hygiene practices among rural dwellers. This approach involves empowering local communities to take ownership of their sanitation and hygiene practices in order to ensure a very high water quality maintenance and safety.

Keywords: Assessment, Water Management, Practices and Adult Rural Dwellers