Water Resource Management Approaches for Sustainable Development in Kipkelion West SubCounty, Kenya

Abstract

Although water is an important resource, it is threatened by anthropogenic activities both nationally and globally. Therefore, the present study sought to establish management strategies used in water resource management in Kipkelion West Sub-County within Kericho County, Kenya. The study population comprised of households and water management agencies within Kipkelion West Sub-County. A total of 394 households were randomly sampled for the study while purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 10 key informants for interviews. The study area was in Kipkelion West Sub-County within Kericho County in Kenya. Household questionnaires and interview guides were used in the data collection. The validity and reliability for the instruments was determined and adjusted through piloting and triangulation methods. Descriptive statistics was employed and results were then presented in graphs, charts and tables. Findings from the study showed that the main sources of water in Kipkelion West Sub-County were; Rivers and Streams at 48%, Springs at 22%, rain water collection at 17%, piped water at 5%, water vendors at 3%, water piped to dwellings at 2% and wells, ponds, boreholes and dams at 1% each. In addition, the strategies for managing water resources in Kipkelion West Sub-County can be divided into pollution management strategies at 44%, supply and demand management strategies at 25%, scarcity management strategies at 18%, quality management strategies at 9%, and conservation management strategies at 5%. Taken together, there is need to develop new strategies and approaches for managing the available water resources