Abstract
This study covers the examination of socio-economic characteristics of residents, identification of different types of surface water bodies, determination of level of accessibility of those water bodies, the evaluation of the water bodies and the identification of the challenges being faced by communities in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria using four hundred (400) well-structured questionnaires. Data obtained were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15. Result showed that, 58.3% were married, the male (54.2%) respondents were higher than the females, and the occupation of the majority were informal sector (37.1%). Also, the highest age group was 15-25 years (34.3%) while family size of 2-3 members (61.1%) were higher than the other categories. Educational qualifications ranged from 2.2% - Primary School Certificate holders to 30.5% - NCE/OND/HND (30.5%) graduates. Eighty-one percent of the respondents were aware of the water bodies. River (37.7%) and stream (38.1%) were the major water sources in the study area, and one of the rivers was dammed and used for religious and traditional purposes. The Rate of obtaining the water varied from regularly (19.6%) to rarely (28%) while the Reasons for obtaining water ranged from its natural state (5.9%) to lack of portable water source (27.4%). Approximately fifty-three percent (52.7%) respondents had contacted one disease or the other ranging from bilharzias (6.2%) to malaria (18.1%) due to the use of the water while scarcity during the dry season has often resulted in frequent clashes among most users. Therefore, this study suggests that government and its agencies should provide portable water, care and maintenance of surface water bodies. Keywords: public perception; surface water; disease; Nigeria
Highlights
Water is the most popular and important liquid for all living things but considered as being polluted when it is detrimental for its planned utilization. Davis et al (2003) reported that the growing demands for water and increased pollution loads threaten the quality of many lakes, rivers, estuaries and groundwater bodies and pose serious threats to public health, agricultural and industrial production, ecological functions, and biodiversity
2010, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/292 clearly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and accepted that clean drinking water and sanitation are crucial to the realization of all human rights
*Corresponding Author Email: adejoseph2003@yahoo.com compelling and necessary to initiate a study aimed at the public perception and evaluation of surface water bodies in Osun State, Nigeria
Summary
Water is the most popular and important liquid for all living things but considered as being polluted when it is detrimental for its planned utilization. Davis et al (2003) reported that the growing demands for water and increased pollution loads threaten the quality of many lakes, rivers, estuaries and groundwater bodies and pose serious threats to public health, agricultural and industrial production, ecological functions, and biodiversity. Enhancing surface water bodies in provision of viable, reliable water of acceptable quantity and quality for domestic and industrial uses is essential to healthy living, poverty alleviation and sustainable socio-economic development. To minimize future human water shortages and undesirable environmental impacts, more equitable sharing of water resources between society and nature is required. This will require physical quantities and social values to be placed on both human and aquatic ecosystem requirements. Current water valuation systems are dominated by economic values and there is need for new quantification and valuation methods that take more account of human well-being and environmental impacts in rural communities of Osogbo. The objective of this study is to investigate community awareness of various surface water body related issues in Osogbo, Osun State
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