An integrated water resource management information and communication model: a case of Lake Victoria Basin

Abstract

The study addressed the challenges of poor water resource management in LVB which arose as a result of inadequate stakeholders' participation, inadequate accountability, poor financial and budgetary management and lack of transparency. Currently, there is insufficient stakeholders' participation in decision making due to lack of decision support strategies that compromises IWRM. ICT offers to address these challenges by providing timely communication and information sharing. The main objective of this study was to design an integrated water resource management ICT model that can be used by different stakeholders for an IWRM. Quantitative approach was employed on a sample size of 152, computed from a population size of 173 across selected districts in LVB. The test results showed that effective decision making, water resource management policies and integrated water resource management frameworks significantly influenced the design of an integrated water resource management ICT model. The R2 values of the manifest variables namely; water resource management frameworks, water resource management policies, effective decision making and water resource management ICT model are 0.68, 0.714, 0.678 and 0.652 respectively. The R2 value of the final model = 41.4 %, Q2 = 0.393, GOF =0.549, SRMR =0.060, d_ULS and d_G =1.022, NFI =0.826 and Chi2 =83.205. This study provided key contributions by designing an artifact, measurement models and identification of poor practices that affected water resources. The study recommended an improved enforcement of rules and regulations, increased involvement of communities in the management of water resources, improved awareness creation, increased fight against corruption and enhanced communication strategies among stakeholders. The study also recommended that WRMF, WRMP and EDM be considered in the design of an IWRMICT model. It further suggested that, in order to enhance IWRM, an intervention should integrate at least mobile phones, computer and internet since they are widely accessible to communities and other stakeholders within LVB. The outcome of this study can help communities, managers, policy makers, decision makers, law enforcers and CSO comment, share, receive and report water management issues in their localities through an integrated water resource management ICT model.