LOCAL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATION OF WATER IN KENYA. A SURVEY OF MT KENYA AND ABERDARE RANGES IN NYERI COUNTY CENTRAL KENYA

Author: 
Machira J. Mwangi
Country: 
Kenya
Abstract: 

Water is life because without it, nobody or anything can survive in this world, but the trend in the word is that the volume of water as an essential resource is diminishing day by day. This study sought to investigate the role of involving the local community in conserving this rare and important resource. The study assessed the involvements in terms of decision making, policy formulation, management and financial factors and the relationship between community involvement and sustainable conservation of water. The study was a survey Mt Kenya and the Aberdare ranges Nyeri County in the central region of Kenya being the source of the two big rivers (Tana and uaso Nyiro) in Kenya. Primary data was corrected using semi-structured questionnaires which were to be filled by members of the communities involved and those that are sidelined in the conservation of water in their region and government representative who are ministry of water officials, and forest officers .It also included site visit to the regions for observation purpose. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics and data was presented in tables, charts in frequencies and percentages. The research found that there was a great difference in places that involved local communities in the utilization of water and those areas that the local were not included in the use of this resource. This was not only concern conservation but even peaceful co-existence among the communities which were given opportunities to decide on how well they can share and conserve the scarce resource, The findings revealed that there was a positive relationship between involving communities within the water sources and the conservation of the resource.

KeyWords: 

Sustainable conservation, Diminishing, essential resources, positive relationship,scarce

Volume & Issue: 
Vol. 2, Issue 2
Pages: 
81-85
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