Towards Sustainable Water Resource Management in Rural Nigeria: The Role of Communities

Abstract

Access to water is crucial for healthy living and survival. In developing
countries such as Nigeria, rural communities often suffer from a severe
shortage of the supply of fresh, potable water. The need to change the
tide has led to the inclusion of the adequate availability of water for all
as one of the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Evidence shows that the lack or poor supply of freshwater could lead to
a prevalence of waterborne diseases and might negatively affect
economically important activities. While water sustainability deals with
ensuring adequate supply of water for the present and future generations,
water resource management is the strategy for achieving water
sustainability. Considering the above, this article examines the literature
on water resource management vis-à-vis the legal framework for water management in Nigeria. The article notes that rural communities in the
country have a critical role to play in water resource management in the
country and in the quest to attain the goals for water. It is recommended
that policies should be implemented to provide for sustainable
management of water as well as a strategy for educating rural communities on what they must do to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals
for water management in Nigeria at the rural community level. For
example, there is a need to provide for private sector led water development
projects in rural areas backed by government subsidy as well as
programmes to enlighten community leaders on their role in ensuring
water sustainability.