The implication of water accessibility challenges to urban water governance in Morogoro municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

This study investigates water accessibility challenges in urban and peri-urban areas and its implication to urban water governance in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. A cross-sectional research design was adopted using a survey of 90 randomly selected households. The key informant interview was used to collect key information. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Mann-Whitney U Test was employed to establish the extent to which factors affected water accessibility differently in urban and peri-urban areas. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative information. Approximately 69% of the respondents accessed water from public piped water system. Some accessed water from public water taps while others used private boreholes and tank carts. Water supply, more so in peri-urban areas, was not reliable. In addition, water leakage, cost of connecting to the public piped water system, cost for constructing a borehole, climatic and environmental factors piled up into challenges of water accessibility suggesting poor urban water governance. The Mann-Whitney U Test showed that households in peri-urban areas were significantly affected by the challenges compared to households in urban areas at 5% level of significance where p = 0.000. The study concludes presence of challenges in water access due to multiple factors with implications on urban water governance. Therefore, urban water governance should be improved to heighten water accessibility. Further studies should focus on developing an urban water governance framework in Tanzania.