Sustainable Water Resource Management: A Comparative Analysis ofCommunity-Led and Government-Driven Approaches

Abstract

This study examined sustainable water resource management by comparing community-led and
government-driven approaches. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and data were collected
from 289 respondents across three districts using the Water Management Assessment Questionnaire
(WMAQ). The study population consisted of 1,240 water users, from which a sample of 302 was
drawn using Taro Yamane’s formula. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics for research
questions and t-test and correlation techniques for hypotheses testing. Findings revealed that
community-led water management systems recorded higher community participation and slightly
better water service reliability and accessibility compared with government-driven systems.
Governance challenges—including funding constraints, inconsistent policy implementation, and
decision-making delays—were found to significantly affect sustainability outcomes across both
systems. Hypotheses testing confirmed significant differences in participation and service reliability
across the two approaches and established a strong positive relationship between governance
challenges and sustainability. The study concludes that while community-led models outperform
government-driven systems in participation and responsiveness, both require improved governance
structures to enhance long-term sustainability. Recommendations include greater community
involvement in governmental planning processes, capacity-building for community committees,
adoption of hybrid governance models, targeted NGO support, and improved funding mechanisms.
The study contributes to water governance research by offering empirical evidence that integrates
community participation, reliability, and governance dimensions.