DOMESTIC WATER DEMAND IN RURAL SEMI-ARID NIGERIA ANTHONY OKON NYONG A

200 Pages·2000·8.29 MB·English

DOMESTIC WATER DEMAND IN RURAL SEMI-ARID NIGERIA
ANTHONY OKON NYONG
A Thesis
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies
in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements
for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Mc Master University
6 Copyright by Anthony Okon Nyong, September, 1 998.
1*1 National Library Bibliothèque nationale
of Canada du Canada
Acquisitions and Acquisitions et
Bibliographie Services senhces bibliographiques
395 Wellington Street 395. iue Weiling(0rr
OttawaON K1A Oh14 0th- ON K1A W
Canada CaMda
The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non
exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la
National Library of Canada to Bibiiotheque nationale du Canada de
reproduce, loan, distribute or seii reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou
copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous
paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de
reproduction sur papier ou sur format
électronique.
The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du
copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse.
thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels
may be printed or othenvise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés
reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son
permission. autorisation.
DOMESTIC WATER DEMAND IN RURAL SEMI-ARID NIGERIA
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (1 998) McMASTER UNIVERSITY
(Geography Hamilton, Ontario. Canada
TITLE: DOMElSTIC WATER DEMAND IN RURAL SEMI-ARID NIGERIA
AUTHOR: Anthony Okon Nyong, B.Sc. (University of Calabar)
MSc. (Ahmadu Bello University)
SUPERVISOR: Dr. P. S. Kanaroglou
NUMBER OF PAGES: xiv, 184
ABSTRACT
Many rural water projects fail because planners do not understand how local
populations relate to, and use domestic water. Although domestic use accounts for about 9%
of the consumptive use of water in sub-Saharan Africa, the benefits associated with improved
access to it are immense. The snidy investigated domestic water use in the waterdeficient
semi-arid Nigeria, using a case study of Katarko. Detailed socio-demographic data known
to affect water demand, were compared with aggregate data at the national and regional
levels. The high population gowth rate. low economic status of the women and the
declining water availability present a good recipe for unsustainable water resource
development and use in Katarko.
Katarko relies on stream fiow, rainfall, ground water and ponds for its domestic
needs, with ground water kingt he only source that can supply pere~iawl ater. Distance was
identified as the most important factor in the choice of a water source. A tradeoff exists
between using good quaiity water and the effort it takes to obtain it. Using culturally-
constructed measures of water qua1i ty ,t he study found that the locals perceive the qualit y of
water they use as higher in the rainy, than in the dry season. Cloth filtration is the preferred
method of water purification, followed by the addition of anthill soil, while boiling ranks
third.
Multiple regression models were used to study demand in the dry and rainy seasons,
when water is scarce and abundant respectively. The levels of explanation provided by the
iii
rainy season and dry season models are 5 1.2% and 9 1.1%, respectively. The lower
explanatory power of the rainy season mode1 may be an indication of wastefiil use when
water is abundant. Overall, the results show that although most of the determinants of water
demand in both seasons are subject to soçio-cultural interpretations, one can approach the
management of it with economic principles. Incorporating the socio-demographic variables
that affect domestic water demand into projections M e r r eveals how changes in the
variables affect future demand. Modeling seasonal variations in demand provides a glimpse
of how consumers will adapt their demands to increased water supply.
Geographical accessibility is a major factor in the underutilization of rural water
facilities in Nigeria, because facilities are often not optimal1y sited. This research
demonstrates the utility of location-allocation modeling as a decision support tool in siting
rural water facilities, where they are accessible to users and yield the highest social welfare
retums. The option of either providing new wells that are optimally distributed, or
rehabilitating existing wells as requested by the community was examined. The research
recornrnended the provision of a new set of optimal wells, in view of the offsetting benefits
associated with them.
The results of the study contribute conceptually and factually to the understanding
of domestic water demand in rural areas of developing countries.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
1 am deeply gratefid to my supervisor, Dr. P. S. Kanaroglou, for his patience and
constructive criticisms throughout the research. It has been pleasant working with him. 1 am
also grateful to members of my supewisory cornmittee. Dr. Bill Anderson, Dr. Kao-Lee
Liaw. Dr. Susan Eliiott. and Dr. Ming-Ko Woo, who despite their busy schedules, took time
to review several drafts of the chapters. I wish to thank CIDA for the fùnding for this
research, and the University of Jos for granting me a training leave.
Special thanks and appreciation go to my colleagues and fÎiends, too numerous to
mention here, who made my stay enjoyable. in particular, 1 wish to acknowledge the support
of Chris, Isaac, Daniel, Charles, Wale, Ephraim, Augustine & Rose, Yetunde, Rifkatu, Nom,
Nunoo and the DeMorgans. 1 am grateful to my Pastor, Reverend Isaac Acheampong and the
members of Al1 Nations Full Gospel Church for their prayerful support.
1 wish to thank the entire staff of geography department, Joan Parker, Medy, Darlene
and Jude. I am grateful to the staff of the GIS lab for letting it be my home these past four
years. So, Ron, Dean and Ric, Pat, thanks to you dl. My gratitude goes to Dr. Gary Wamer,
Ms. Cherryil-AM Jackson, the International Students Advisor, for their suppon. Aria, for
those times we spoke and you nudged me on, and expressed your belief in me, thanks a lot.
To al1 the members of my family whom 1 love dearly, 1 say "thanks for the sacrifice".
Finally, 1 humbl y acknowledge God's grace in leading me this far, and the strength
to go through this programme.
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
.. .
ABSTRACT
Ill
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv
LIST OF FIGURES xi
LIST OF PLATES xii
*..
LIST OF TABLES Xlll
PREFACE xiv
Chapter One: introduction 1
1.1 Bac kground 1
1.2 Objectives 6
1.3 Organization of Thesis 7
Re ferences 9
Chapter Two: Demographic Characteristics of Rural Semi-Arid Nigeria:
Implications for Sustainabk Water Resource Developmeat
and Use
A bst rac t
2.1 Introduction and Background
2.2 Study Area
2.3 Research Method and Data Sources
2.4 Socio-dernographic Charactenstics
2.4.1 Household characteristics
2.4.1 .1 Household size
2.4.1 -2 Sex and age composition
2.4.1.3 Education
2.4.1.4 Income
2.42 Fertility
2.4.3 Mortality
2.4.4 Migration
2.4.4.1 immigration
2.4.4.2 Out-migration
2.5 Population Projections
2.6 Implications for Sustainable Water Use
2.7 Conclusion
Acknowledgments
Literature Cited
Chapter Three: A Suney of Househoid Domestic Water Use
Patterns in Rural Semi-Arid Nigeria
Abstract
3.1 Introduction and Background
3.2 Study Cornmunity
3.3 Methods of Data Collection
vii
3.4 Results and Discussion
3.4.1 Sources of water for domestic uses
3 -4.1.1 Factors that influence the choice of water sources
3 A.2 Household water use
3.4.2.1 Differences in perception of water availability
3.4.2.2 Quantity of water used for domestic activities
3 -4.2.3 Coping strategies
3 A2.4 Water handling practices
3.4.2.5 Perception of water quaiity
3.4.2.6 Sorne health implications
3.4.2.7 Principal water collectors
3.4.2.8 Water vending activities
3.5 Sunmary and Conclusion
Acknowiedgrnents
Re ferences
Chapter Four: Seasonal Variations in Domestic Water Demand in
Rural Semi-Arid Nigeria
Ab stract
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Study Area and Field Methods
4.2.1 Studyarea
viii