Community-based Water Resource Management Research Articles

Legal Framework of Community-Based Water Resource Management to Achieve SDGs and “No One Left Behind”

This study aims to examine community-based water resources management implemented in Umbul Ponggok Village, Klaten Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, based on the Water Resources Law (2019) and was subsequently modified by the Job Creation Law (2023), which prioritizes the well-being of the local community and in order to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs), especially the principle of No.-One Left Behind. Community involvement in water resources management is very important. Therefore, communities no longer only act as consumers but also as those who determine their own needs for water resources. One area that has implemented this approach is the community in Ponggok Village, Klaten Regency. Therefore, this study addressed the compliance of the community-based water resource management in Ponggok Village, Klaten Regency, with the existing regulations. The study also determined whether the community complies with the principles of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a juridical-empirical method. Data was collected through documentation and interviews, and qualitatively analyzed. The result showed that the practices of water resource management in Ponggok Village aligned with existing regulations. However, a notable gap existed in adhering to reporting regulations, attributed to a lack of awareness among the village apparatus. Then, the water resource management in Ponggok Village has fully aligned with the current regulations and the SDGs' principles.

Exploring Community-Based Water Resource Management in Cameroon for Sustainable Development: Insights From Indigenous Participatory Approaches

Exploring Community-Based Water Resource Management in Cameroon for Sustainable Development: Insights From Indigenous Participatory Approaches

The Practice of Community-Based Water Resource Management in Rural Indonesia

Although The government has issued various regulations and models of water resources governance at the local level, community-based water resources governance is needed in responding to challenges in water resource management. This paper discusses the case of water resources management in Srogol village (Cigombong sub-district, Bogor district) which applies a community-based water resources governance model known as Janggol. Culturally, Janggol has been deeply rooted in the social system in the Bogor area. Janggol in the upstream Cisadane watershed was appointed in 2018 to manage the water supplied to the community from the Ciwaluh spring. However, in practice the community-based management that is implemented is often wrong in its function and creates other quite complex problems. This research aims to analyze why the implementation of community-based water resource management in Srogol village is not optimal and what efforts must be made to encourage sustainable natural resource management using the concept of Community-based natural resource management. This research uses a qualitative approach, by extracting data using an interview process to predetermined stakeholders. Based on the research results, the water management carried out by Janggol is not optimal due to the lack of adaptation of managers in water management, the lack of community participation in water management, and the lack of knowledge of Janggol in providing services as an institution.

Ecological performance of local initiatives on water resources management in Timorese communities, Indonesia

Indonesia is one of the countries under the threat of a water crisis. A total of 106 districts from 16 provinces, including East Nusa Tenggara, experienced drought and clean water crisis of 1.50 billion m3 year−1. This involves ecological characteristics accumulation of semiarid regions, degradation of forest resources, and increased critical land. Mitigation research on a watershed scale provides an understanding of the strong relationship between land degradation and water crisis. However, specific information on biophysical spring sources in semi-arid ecosystems is still very limited. This study aimed to obtain ecological performance based on rainfall, critical land, and land cover from a community-based water resource management model on the Timor island. This study was conducted through field observations at 63 units of water sources and structured interviews. The results showed that the characteristics vary from rainfall distribution, land cover, critical land, and utilization pressure. Furthermore, water source units have a limited carrying capacity of rainfall, the land conditions are generally critical, including the threat of land fires and community use of springs. Meanwhile, the variations of these characteristics determine the management interventions undertaken by the community. Therefore, through various management models of community-based water sources, local initiatives need to get support to preserve water sources for the people’s livelihood.

Sustainability assessment of community-based water resource management of irrigation systems for agriculture

Sustainability assessment of community-based water resource management of irrigation systems for agriculture

Shifting the paradigm in community-based water resource management in North-West Cameroon: A search for an alternative management approach

ABSTRACT This paper examines practical approaches for Community-Based Water Resource Management in North-West Region, Cameroon. Empirical data collected through participatory learning and action revealed that a lesser degree of community involvement and more centralized systems of Natural Resource Management (NRM), is a major cause of unsustainable water management. A fundamental challenge in NRM is how to effectively engage and stimulate public, private and local institutions in policymaking to address resource use conflicts and improve governance. Part of the problem in developing effective management models has been identified through the nature of approaches that inform contemporary methodologies of NRM. Many of these methods have largely been influenced by top-down systems of management that have played a major role in disenfranchising those for whom development is meant for. It is, therefore, imperative to rethink contemporary management approaches and develop more pragmatic models that will promote effective systems of NRM. A focus on and applying a rational System Thinking Analysis could potentially produce reinforcing and self-reinforcing effects to enhance rural water systems and promote sustainable water management in the North-West Region, Cameroon.

Effects of Community Perceptions and Institutional Capacity on Smallholder Farmers’ Responses to Water Scarcity: Evidence from Arid Northwestern China

Community contextual factors including community perceptions and institutional capacity are among the key determinants in community-based water resource management. The Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework proposed by Ostrom is commonly employed to examine the outcome of common-pool resource management including water resources. However, community perceptions typically examined in behavioral economics and comparative community analysis literature are rarely incorporated in institutional analysis studies. This study draws on the IAD framework to investigate smallholder farmer communities’ responses to water scarcity in arid northwestern China. Adopting alternating multiple regression and multivariate regression models, this study conducts an empirical analysis using farmer survey data. The results show that the perceptions of water scarcity promote community actions in coping with water shortage. The perception of production risks encourages overall community responses, as well as farming- and irrigation-related responses. Communities with a stronger institutional enforcement are more responsive in taking farming-, irrigation-, and infrastructure-related actions, as well as having better overall responses. The analysis also shows that community interactional capacities and socio-economic factors may influence community actions to mitigate and adapt to adverse effects of local water scarcity. Our findings provide insights for understanding social and institutional aspects of rural farming communities toward sustainable response decisions to overcome water scarcity challenges.

Urgensi Perubahan Paradigma Hukum dalam Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Air Nasional

This paper discusses operational and legal paradigm aspects of water resources management in· Indonesia. Principles and concepts of anthropocentrims and holism are presented. Issues discussed are legal idiology and legal paradigm of national water resources management. The paper concludes with an outlook on the needs for development of legal paradigm and community-based water resources management.

A DPSIR-analysis of water uses and related water quality issues in the Colombian Alto and Medio Dagua Community Council

A portion of Colombia’s water resources is located on the Pacific coast within the territory of the Community Council of Alto and Medio Dagua (CC-AMDA). Though a harmonious balance between the communities’ subsistent activities and nature was maintained for centuries, the appearance of modern modes of resource extraction has negatively affected the environment, especially the water resources. The Driver-Pressure-State- Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework was used to analyze water quality problems within this community council. The DPSIR analysis revealed that agriculture, mining, logging and infrastructure development constitute important sectoral drivers with some contribution from tourism and fisheries. Pressures included inputs of organic matter, sediment, nutrients and chemical contaminants to the Dagua river, and to the Bay of Buenaventura. These produced corresponding State changes in the water bodies. Impacts on human welfare were poor public health, reduced food and water security, economic loss and some displacement. Societal Responses included public protests and campaigns, legal actions and policy changes for improved governance. As a future policy option, the formation of community-based water resources management is recommended. Though DPSIR was able to link cause-effect relations, further empirical research on these water bodies is necessary to fill in existing gaps in the data set, particularly for public health threatening contaminants.

Complexity and uncertainty in water resource governance in Northwest Cameroon: Reconnoitring the challenges and potential of community-based water resource management

This paper examines the complexities and uncertainties which exist in water resource management and governance in Northwest Cameroon. Using empirical data collected through participatory research methods with local communities in Ndu, Njinikom and Mbengwi rural districts in Northwest Cameroon, it is shown that management of water resources is challenged by factors such as uncoordinated national development policies, weak institutional frameworks, top-down management approaches to natural resource management, the paternalistic posture of authorities, the inability of water users to promptly and regularly contribute to the operation and maintenance of the water system, as well as the inadequate preservation of watersheds. In contexts like rural Cameroon one of the key ways in which to improve the supply of water for human use, whilst still conserving water resources, is to make it easier for ordinary water users to work with the other stakeholders involved in water management. Clarifying issues of jurisdiction between central and local governments is central to this process of enabling water users to be involved in the management of their own water supplies. Until the full representation and participation of ordinary citizens in policy discussions is achieved, complexity and uncertainty will overshadow the management of water resources.

Water Governance in Cambodia: From Centralized Water Governance to Farmer Water User Community

Cambodia has abundant water resources in the wet season and a scarcity of water in the dry season. These phenomena undermine the development in this country and pose a threat to long-term development. Hence, the governance of water becomes critically important for the current and future development of Cambodia. Thus, this study is undertaken to understand the current water governance practice, challenges and constraints that prevent Cambodia from managing water effectively, and identify opportunities to improve it. In doing this, the study examines the water governance in Cambodia from a large-scale water management system and three community-based water resource management systems and farmer water user communities (FWUCs) in three provinces around Cambodia. It concludes that the current water governance practice in Cambodia is still too weak and fragmented to address the water security issues affecting the country, and thus, reorganization of the current structure and system of the water governance framework would be required to address long-term water security issues.

Community-based water resource management in North-west Cameroon: the role of potable water supply in community development

This paper examines the role of community-based water resource management in community development in Cameroon. Natural resources across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have been managed from centralized systems and this has resulted into massive marginalization and disenfranchisement of rural communities. However, there is now a shift in policy interventions towards adopting pro-community approaches in resource management. Although this paradigm is increasingly becoming common, key questions on how to propagate the participation of the most vulnerable members of a community and the impact on community development remain pertinent. Using both secondary and empirical data collected though tools inspired by the traditional of participatory research; it is argued in the paper that community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has the potential to imbue the full participation of local people in any development issues and changes rural societies and communities in sub-Saharan African countries. Rural Cameroon, like many other rural regions in sub-Saharan Africa faces a myriad of challenges, among which include water resource governance. This paper therefore, explores the role of CBNRM in sustainable management of potable water resources. This has been explored within contemporary theoretical and development debates on natural resource management in developing countries.

Examining ‘willingness to participate’ in community-based water resource management in a transboundary conservation area in Central America

Operationalizing integrated water resource management (IWRM) often involves decentralization of water management via community-based management (CBM). While attention has been given to the components leading to successful CBM, less is known about what factors motivate people's willingness to participate (WTP) in such programs. This study analyzed factors that influence household WTP in CBM in a transboundary watershed located where El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras converge – the Trifinio Region. Several variables were hypothesized to influence WTP: sense of community (SOC), dependence on water resources, level of concern for water resources, and socio-economic characteristics. In 2014, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 62 households in five communities. Most respondents reported high levels of WTP in future CBM initiatives, and multivariate regression analysis revealed that SOC was the most important predictor of WTP, with wealth and perceptions of watershed management also statistically significant. Qualitative analyses revealed water availability was more concerning than water quality, and perceptions of inequitable access to water is an important constraint to developing CBM strategies. Taken together, these results suggest that enhancing SOC and relationships between local and regional levels of governance prior to establishing community-based projects would facilitate more success in implementing IWRM.

Tlokoeng Valley Community’s Conceptions of Wetlands: Prospects for more Sustainable Water Resources Management

This article explores prospects for community-based water resources management in Tlokoeng Valley, in the northern district of Lesotho. A qualitative survey was conducted to establish the pre-knowledge of the valley community. This provided a basis for a community education programme on wetlands conservation. Fifteen focus group interviews (FGIs) were conducted with 105 participants from four villages in the valley. An in-depth analysis of the responses was undertaken to determine emerging environmental worldviews. The findings of the study indicate the community’s limited knowledge of the ecological/scientific value of wetlands, influences of modernism and/or the risk of the ‘tragedy of the commons’ in the use of wetland resources. The occurrence of indigenous epistemology commensurate with ecocentrism was also limited. It is argued that education interventions should be enabling learning experiences that are community driven, and should integrate evidence-based citizen science activities, such as miniSASS, and draw on the theory of lehae-la-rona1 for its potential to create a sense of connectedness with the environment.

Emerging Issues on the Sustainability of the Community Based Rural Water Resources Management Approach in Zimbabwe: A Case Study of Gwanda District

Although there is considerable on-going debate about the suitability and sustainability of community based water resources management (CBWRM) in Africa as a water provision strategy, evidence shows that this approach has gone a long way in promoting access to clean water amongst rural African communities. CBWRM provides an alternative approach to water provision for rural communities. This paper examines how the strategy has been operationalised in Gwanda District in Zimbabwe. The paper examines the experiences of rural communities in using CBWRM. Data was collected using focus group discussions, key informant in-depth interviews and a survey of 685 households in Gwanda district across five wards. The findings of this study are that 67% of the surveyed rural communities in Gwanda depended on community managed water resources mostly in the form of boreholes and protected wells. High rates of nun-functional sources were reported at 60-70% in most wards. Several system weaknesses were noted in the current CBWRM set-up including a depletion of committee memberships, inadequate community resources, limited agency and government support. This paper makes several recommendations on strengthening the capacity of CBWRM in Zimbabwe and Africa.

Community-based water resources management

In arid environments community water management often still focuses exclusively on management of water assets. Watsan practitioners do not often consider the importance of providing communities with information concerning their available water resources. Consequently the association between water resource availability, groundwater recharge and sound stewardship is often missing, to the detriment of end water users. This article describes an eight-stage process to build a framework for managing water resources which is being implemented in Darfur. It involves end-users in assessing water use, the risks to water quantity and quality, and in prioritizing the use of water to meet the needs of all stakeholders.