Effect of water scarcity on households' livelihoods in Iwoye-Ketu Area of Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Water is an essential commodity which affects life and livelihoods in the universe. This study examined perceived effect of water scarcity on livelihoods in Iwoye-Ketu, Ogun State. Random sampling was used to select 80 rural households and water samples for the study. Data collected were analysed using descriptive, inferential and laboratory analyses. Findings showed that the mean age of respondents was 38 years with an average household size of four persons. The major sources of water were boreholes (97.5%) and rainwater (90.0%), the average trekking time to the water source was 24 minutes and the households requires an average of 162 litres of water per day. Water analysis' result showed that the water has pH (6.87), total dissolved solids (0.175 mgâ™dm-3), temperature (29.9°C) and turbidity (0.6 FTU). The major causes of water scarcity include insufficient rainfall (97.5%), increased sunlight intensity (97.5%), pollution of water sources (95.0%) and increased population (93.8%). About 60% of them perceived water scarcity to have a negative effect on their livelihoods. Correlation analysis shows that there is a significant relationship between usage of water (r = 0.370, p < 0.01) and perceived effect of water scarcity. It was concluded that water available for household use is not sufficient, although it is safe but contain some elements which are not of World Health Organization standard for good potable water. It is recommended that the community should build a hub for water collection and distribution close to the village centre and the government should provide water infrastructures to increase the supply of potable water.