WATER MANAGEMENT IN A DISTURBED ECOSYSTEM OF OKOROMBOKHO, EASTERN OBOLO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Pages
Cover page
Title page
Declaration
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Abstract
Table of contents
List of tables
List of figures
List of Appendices
Abbreviation and meanings
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of problems
1.3 Objective of the study
1.4 Significance of study
1.5 Conceptual definition of terms
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Review of Literature
2.1 Sources and usage of water in rural community
2.2 Water management
2.3 Water Governance
2.4 Ecosystem change and water management
2.5 Overview of an Ecosystem
CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Research Methodology
3.1 Study Area
3.1.1 Location
3.2 Data collection methods
3.2.1 Sampling and sample size
3.2.2 Data collection instrument
3.2.3 Source of Data collection
3.2.4 Procedure for Data collection
3.3 Method of Data Analysis
4.0 Expected outcome/conclusion.
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Result and Discussion
4.1 Socioeconomic Characteristics
4.2 Result
4.3 Discussion
CHAPTER FIVE
4.0 Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
References
Appendices
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
- Background of Study
Water is a resource that is becoming increasingly scarce and needs to be sustained globally and locally. One of the most serious problems faced by billions of people today is the availability of fresh water. The importance of water supply for domestic uses cannot be compromised not only because of its social and economic values, but also because water based sources of livelihoods have become critical to the survival and health of most rural households, providing valuable contributions to rural livelihoods (Bain, Cronk, Hossain, Bonjour, Onda, Wright, Yang, Slaymaker, Hunter, Pruss-Ustun, and Bartram, 2014). Water is therefore a very strategic socio-economic asset especially in poor economies where wealth and survival are measured by the level of access to water. It has been estimated that 1.2 billion people have no water within 400m of their dwelling (Grant., Mill, Holbrook, Lymburner, McTavish, and Sundby, 2002).
According to WHO/UNICEF (2004) water coverage refers to the proportion of the population using improved sources of drinking water. It is based on the principle that an improved source of water is designed to deliver water to a certain number of people. Again, rural water coverage and access are terms that have been used interchangeably and have been defined differently by different practitioners. Rural water coverage is often calculated by multiplying the number of each safe water point by the number of people who should be served by those water points. However, coverage may not give an accurate estimate of access due to functionality and distance to the water source(s). For example, it could be assumed that the water point can serve a particular number of people but the number actually having access could be very different (IIDL, 2008). The Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Zambia defined access to water in rural areas based on the ability of people to collect at least a minimum of 25 liters of water per person per day for domestic purposes all year round, and also walk less than 500 meters to the water point (Musanda, 2004; Village Water, 2010). This could be a good definition, but some raised the issue that queuing at the water point can sometimes take time. For instance, in Mozambique, 30 minutes’ round trip which included going to the water point, queuing, fetching the water, and returning home were added as additional criteria for water access to be made.
UNICEF/WHO (2004) broadly defined rural water access as the availability of at least 20 liters per person per day from an improved source within one kilometer of user’s dwelling. The standard for Nigeria according to National Water Supply and Sanitation Policy (NWSSP, 2000) is that access to rural water supply should guarantee minimum level of service, 30 liters per capita per day within 250 meters of the community of 150 to 5000 people, serving about 250-500 persons per point in the rural households. Inaccessibility and unequal access to safe water supply can constrain the inclusiveness of growth and thus result in low standard of living among the rural people (Yange, Bain, Bartrum, Pedley, and Wright, (2013). In circumstances where access is denied, communities as well as individual’s standard of living and productivity become drastically reduced. Governments and organizations all over the world have realized that sustainable water and wastewater management is a necessary component of functioning communities. On the other hand, since the dawn of human civilization, people have been struggling with rivers in order to prevent flooding and secure adequate freshwater supply with acceptable water quality. The capacity of mankind to control and harness natural resources has increased enormously with the rapid development of society and technology in the past century. By now, people have transformed many natural landscapes and aquatic ecosystem by means of hydraulic engineering projects such as dams, irrigation systems and large-scale water transfer (Song, 2012).
1.2 Statement of Problems
According to UNDP (2006), more than 1.2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, and this scarcity affects every continent and around 2.8 billion people around the world as faced with water scarcity at least once month out of every year. This scarcity is most times attributed to disturbance which may lead to water shortage, increased water pollution, increased demand and/or overuse of water. Okorombokho, is one of such community which is faced with different ecological disturbance. The community is exposed to several forms of disturbances both natural and anthropogenic and these disturbances have affected the various aspects of the people. For instance, the community is bounded by Atlantic Ocean which is salty in and the water not portable for used for agricultural or domestic purpose as the high salinity poses osmotic stress on both plants and impact the soil texture and water availability. The poor waste management and sanitation plan in the community has also influenced potable water availability as the freshwater source present in the community is used for both bathing, washing and drinking thus loading the water with organic which subsequently affect the biochemical oxygen demand of the river and its self-purification capacity. It is believed that this stress has can affect the ground water supply there by hindering the community form accessing potable water. Industrialization, urbanization and modern agriculture practices have also directly impact the water resources quantitatively and qualitatively. Many industries are sited near these bodies of water presumably to facilitate easy discharge of effluents and other pollutants into them. A typical example is the siting of several flow stations on the territorial waters of the Eastern Obolo with its attendant and often incessant oil spillages, gas flares which eventually lead to acid rains (Udoessien, 2003) experienced in the area. The microbiological and physicochemical study conducted by Itah and Akpan (2005) on the safety and usability of the water from the boreholes in Eastern Obolo revealed very high levels of seven types of bacterial namely: “Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus varians and Escherichia coli” in the water. According to the authors, the bacterial load in drinking water far exceeds the level accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and they were associated with various water borne disease. The problems identified by these authors have prompted the need to assess the effective way of managing water resources within the community. According to Udoh, Ukpatu, and Otoh, (2013) the quality of aquatic bionetworks is vital for the productivity, survival and support of aquatic organisms found in them. It is an index of health and well- being of the ecosystem and has direct impact on human health and this study will attempt to access and proposes some means of managing water and water resources in the typical disturbed ecosystem of Okorombokho community.
1.3 Objective of study
The general objective of the study is to assess the impact of Nypa palm invasion on water management in Okorombokho community, Eastern Obolo LGA.
The specific objectives are to;
- Determine the sources of water supply present in Okoromboko community
- Determine the various water usage practices in the community
- Determine the political, social, economic and administrative systems in place for access and use of water in the community
- Determine the various changes that have occurred in water availability and use due to ecosystem changes in the community
- Determine who is most vulnerable in the water problem faced by the community.
- Draw implications for environmental management
1.4 Significance of Study
Okoromboko community is a riverine community whose water bodies is faced with various environmental disturbance ranging from anthropogenic activities such as farming, poor waste management and sanitary practices to natural disturbances such as invasion of the water bodies by Nypa palm and salt stress from the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the various researches and published literature on water management within and outside Akwa Ibom State, there is no information on the impact of Nypa palm on water management in the community. The result of this study will bridge this gap by providing information on the sources and types of water supply in the community. It will also provide information on the water usage, political, social and administrative system involved in water distribution in the community.
In addition, the study will provide information on the various changes that have occurred and how these changes have affected water quality, determine the most vulnerable human population. The data generated will aid in proposing an effective water management strategy for the community as well as policy makers.
1.5 Conceptual Definition of Terms
1.5.1 Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms in conjunction with the non-living components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system (Brussard, Micheal and Richard (1998). These biotic and abiotic components are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows as ecosystems are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms and their environment, (Ulanowicz, 1997) they can be of any size but usually encompass specific, limited spaces (although some scientists say that the entire planet is an ecosystem) (Capenter, Cole, Essington, Hodgson, Houser, Kitchell, and Pace, 1996).
1.5.2 Disturbance:
White and Pickett (2005) define disturbance as “any relatively discrete event in time that disrupts ecosystem, community, or population structure and changes resources, substrate availability, or the physical environment.” As defined, disturbance includes both environmental fluctuations and destructive events and precludes whether or not an event is “normal” (White and Pickett 2005). Disturbance can also be seen as a temporal change in environmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in the ecosystem (Buma and Wessman, 2011). They are often quick and with great effect to alter the physical structure or arrangement of biotic and abiotic elements or may occur over a long period of time and can impact the diversity within an ecosystem. Disturbance forces can have profound immediate effects on ecosystems and can, accordingly, greatly alter the natural community.
1.5.3 Disturbed Ecosystem:
An ecosystem is said to be disturbed when its integrity is compromised by any form of disturbance. In biology, a disturbance is a temporary change in environmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in an ecosystem.Disturbances often act quickly and with great effect, to alter the physical structure or arrangement of biotic and abiotic elements. Disturbance can also occur over a long period of time and can impact the diversity within an ecosystem. Major ecological disturbances may include fires, flooding, windstorms, insect outbreaks and trampling. Earthquakes, various types of volcanic eruptions, tsunami, firestorms, impact events, climate change, and the devastating effects of human impact on the environment (anthropogenic disturbances) such as clearcutting, forest clearing and the introduction of invasive species (Banitz et al., 2008) can also be considered major disturbances.
1.5.4 Water pollution:
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater). Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water; and, in almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological communities. Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds (Dunlap, 2003).
1.5.5 Water Management:
Although several authors have attempt to define the term water management, their definition usually have a common ground which entails the activity of planning, developing, distributing and optimum use of water resources under defined water polices and regulations. According to Grafton and Hussey (2011), Water management is the activity of planning, developing, distributing and optimum use of water resources under defined water polices and regulations. It includes: management of water treatment of drinking water, industrial water, sewage or wastewater, management of water resources, management of flood protection, management of irrigation, and management of the water table. Water management can also be seen as the control and movement of water resources to minimize damage to life and property and to maximize efficient beneficial use (World Bank, 2013).