Assessment of water footprint for better water management in Oshana region, Namibia
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Date
2024
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
Researchers have created a variety of water footprint concepts and technologies in
response to growing concerns about the pressure on the world's water resources.
Water footprint involves the direct and indirect water use of a consumer or a
product. This study, therefore, examines the water footprint of an individual using
the concept of water footprint and questionnaire survey to establish a better
understanding of an individual’s water demand for better management of water
resources in the Oshana region. A simple random sample of 32 respondents from
two constituencies in Oshana region was used. The water footprint calculator was
used to determine the water footprint of individuals in the constituencies, and their
variations among constituencies. The findings show that Ongwediva constituency
is the largest water consumer in the region with a water footprint of 4079.19
m3
/capita/year whereas Okaku constituency is the least water consumer with a
water footprint of 1726.50 m3
/capita/year. Furthermore, one-way ANOVA was
performed to determine the relationships among the footprints in the two
constituencies. The analysis shows a significance level of 0.001 indicating that the
two constituencies varied significantly. Pearson correlation was used to determine
the link between the water footprints of individuals and their socio-economic
backgrounds. The results revealed that there was no correlation between water
footprint and socioeconomic factors. The findings of the study revealed the need
for public awareness on the use of water resources and incorporating water footprint
in the water resources management policies for better water resources management
Description
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of masters of science in water resources management
Keywords
Direct water, Water footprint, Water scarcity, Water use, Virtual water