Planning for Sustainable Water Supply through Partnership Approach in Wukari Town, Taraba State of Nigeria

Abstract

It has been observed that government resources and interventions towards sustaining water supply in Wukari town have been insufficient. The result has been constant water crisis and shortages over the years. The objective of this paper is to explore the possibility of partnering for sustainable water provision, to identify potential partners and to propose an appropriate partnership framework. Two hundred and seventy-five (275) questionnaires were administered in the three (3) wards of the town from where respondents were drawn at random. Findings revealed that the centralized system of water management, the location of Wukari on a basement rock and the scarcity of state financial resources are some of the greatest obstacles to sustainable water supply. However, about (90%) of the respondents are willing to collaborate with other stakeholders while the community members are ready to provide land and labor for the partnership arrangement. This study recommends a paradigm shift from the centralized water management to a partnership approach between service providers, recipients of services and other related stakeholders.