International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

Community Water Resources Management: Blend of Stakeholder Complementality and Cooperation in Sub-Division,

Sabastian Ande BILLA Zephania Nji FOGWE1

Department of Geography and Planning, Department of Geography and Planning, The University of , Northwest The University of Bamenda, Northwest Cameroon [email protected] Cameroon.

ABSTRACT Rapid population upsurge is increasingly the root cause of water quality and quantity imbalances in the high plains of Balikumbat Sub-Division. This has caused varied stakeholder complementarity and cooperation strategy options sought to address water stress problems in the highlands plains that are a priori water abundant heavens in Balikumbat. Balikumbat communities within the plain depicts a topographic elevation that markedly contrasts with the rest of the communities where water excesses are rather a daily quandary. Water management and blend of stakeholder’s complementarity and cooperation alongside intricate mishmash of undulating relief and unstable climatic conditions on springs and well water supply influences the regularity of water supply in the area throughout the year. Such is exacerbated by multiform agrarian signatures on catchments worsened by eucalyptus trees invading spring sources. This study assesses the nature of stakeholder complementarity and cooperation level in community water management on the premise that these strategy options are more indigenous than exotic. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected for water sources, stakeholder typology, water demands and water management technologies through field observations, questionnaires, and interviews. Data collected were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively using tables, percentages and mean. Findings revealed that most of the people opt for low technologies provided by stakeholders in water supply management as being more passive to complements their dearth need for the basic gold commodity – water. The study observed that stakeholder complementarity and cooperation with users can yield sustainable fruits when water supply schemes are design. The study found the need for a robust community involvement in water issues and a development of alternative water sources to complement existing sources through cooperation and coordinated use of watershed to ensure sustainable water availability.

KEY WORDS: Stakeholder roles, water catchments, human pressure, water management, technologies

1. INTRODUCTION Water availability especially in quality has of recent been pivotal in the siting and growth of human settlements, assurance of food security and varied processes of income generation. This notwithstanding, an increasing number of people all over the world still go through serious water shortage dilemma which is indicative of the daily stakeholder strategies deployed in a bid to provide water for basic needs and prevent water-borne diseases. Such water needs being a minimum of 50 and 100 litres per person per day should be everyone’s right (WHO, 2010). According to the WHO, - 46 -

International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020 average water consumption for some 33 countries in Africa stands at 35 litres per person per day, therefore some 30% short of the 50 litres per day (WHO, 2008). This was painted by Ako Ako et al, (2009) who intimated that Cameroon is still experiencing a 16th Century-like water supply scenario in which the rural population that braces up for stream water with cattle, pigs and ruminants hence sending poor rural women and children to go for very long distances to fetch water.

Rural water resources support its ecosystem, activities and people in various parts of the world such that water and socio-economic developments are mutually dependent yet the water management is largely a daunting task for a good number of communities. When water is rightly managed, it stands out as an honourable rural tool for poverty alleviation, economic recovery and economic growth (Lekunze, 2001). Conversely, poorly managed rural water is a gross impediment to raising poverty, thwarted health and low-slung productivity, insecurity and epileptic economic development. During the World Water Day (March 22nd 2007) the World Bank’s Vice President for Environmentally Sustainable Development predicted that many of the wars in this century were about oil, but wars of the next century would be over water. In line with MDG 7c, Cameroon declared the decade 2010-2020 in her Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP), to reduce the proportion of the people without access to safe drinking water projected at 75% of the population by half in 2020. Unfortunately by 2015 the MDG attainment target report gave a success rate of 46% with water, sanitation and hygiene still being less than average in Cameroon (MDG success rate evaluation, 2015). Such MDGs’ failure in the provision of drinkable water to all by 2015 gave birth to the Agenda 2030 through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDG6 is based on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The target of this goal on water is to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030. Most communities in the study area are constructing low and exotic water schemes to reduce water scarcity in the area in line with the SDG6 target on water.

The management strategy to be used by stakeholders to achieve good water availability comprises the sustainable management and protection of wetlands, rivers, educating people on water treatment technologies and the importance of avoiding water wastages by various stakeholders. Unfortunately, dwindling water resources in many parts of the world and especially in sub-Saharan Africa is a finger pointer to the very urgent need to initiate robust palliative measures to avert water scarcity. This is even more crucial in the Ndop plain distinct for its long meandering streams, cascading hills dissected by fast flowing rivers, gorging springs from overlying volcanic rock aquifers, extensive wetlands and countless wells and boreholes. This exhibits the potential volume of water in Balikumbat Sub- Division. The study objective is therefore to match stakeholders of community water resources and management policies within the communities of Balikumbat Sub-Division.

2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 The study area

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International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

Balikumbat is a Sub-Division in Ngoketunjia Division in the North West Region of Cameroon (Figure 1). Created by Decree No. 92/187 of 1st September 1992, the population was 58,374 inhabitants in 2005 (National Census 2005) unequally spread on an area of 973 km2 with major human concentration on the Balikumbat tableland which rises abruptly from the Ndop plain with an average height of

between 1,100m to about 1,500m above sea level with the Lamissang escarpment in the east. Figure 1: Location of Balikumbat Sub-Division

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International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

This tableland serves as the watershed for the five sub divisional villages of Balikumbat, Bamunkumbit, Bafanji, Baligashu and Baligansin that lie between latitude 05ͦ 50' to 5ͦ 95' North of the Equator and longitudes 10ͦ 20' to 10ͦ 30' East of the Greenwich Meridian. Balikumbat Sub-Division is bounded in the north by Sub-Division that is the extension of the Western High Lava Plateau, in the east by Ndop Central Sub-Division, in the south by Galim Sub-Division and in the west by Santa Sub-Division which are all extensions of the lava plateau.

2.2 Methods of data collection and analysis Varied methods were used in the acquisition, analyzing and presentation of data collected for stakeholder’s involvement, complementarity and cooperation in the management of water resources in Balikumbat Sub-Division. Both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were employed. Qualitative data were collected through experiences on water resource management by the community, their beliefs, tradition and cultural perspectives on water resources. Quantitative data were collected from the various stakeholders, water sources, technologies of extraction, uses of water, regulation and management strategies through field observations and on-the-spot appraisals. Secondary data were collected through reviews, research publications, policies and frameworks for the management of water in Cameroon. To figure out the number of households to be sampled, 30 percent of a total of 567 households (Balikumbat Council, 2017) were selected. The 30 percent of the total households gave 0.3 x 567 = 170. Therefore, a total of 170 questionnaires were administered in randomly selected and spatially representative major quarters within each village in Balikumbat Sub- Division. This was closely complemented using the Global Position System in the mapping of watersheds, springs, wells and stand taps. Stream discharge trends over time were determined from interviews made with aged persons living in the stream’s areas. Quantifiable hydrographic data were also taken to compare and contrast with the qualitative data provided by the questionnaires and assessed in percentages, percentages deviations, expected and observed frequencies of stakeholders and technologies. Microsoft Excel statistical options and Chi square statistical comparism permitted the study to establish the degree of variance between the passive and active stakeholders involved in water resource management and supply strategies.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 3.1 Water management stakeholder typology and complementarity The human endeavours that serve as determinants in water resource supply, exploitation and management in Balikumbat Sub-Division were used to portray how man has become a major stakeholder in water resource management. Stakeholder policies of water management comprise harnessing surface, ground and rain harvested water to meet up with the individual and community water needs (Table 1). In the study area, most of the inhabitants depend on ground water extraction (73.75 percent) and 21.25 percent on surface water. This low percentage in surface water extraction for household use is due to the unreliability of the sources during the dry season which sometimes occupy five calendar months. The same low percentages are recorded as it concerns rain water harvesting (Table 1).

Table 1: Water sources managed by the community of Balikumbat

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International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

Portable water sources Number Percentage Surface water 34 21.25 Ground water 118 73.75 Rain harvested water 08 05.00 TOTAL 160 100.00 Source: Fieldwork, April 2019

Water sources identified in Balikumbat are streams, ponds, springs that gorges which provides varied category of stakeholders (Fig. 2)

Figure 2: Spatial distribution of water schemes in Balikumbat

The stakeholders and their contributions permit the easy construction of community water schemes (Table 2).

Table 2: Partners, water schemes and state of use in Balikumbat Sub-Division Pipe Number Village Boreholes Total Partners/Donors borne Functional State, Local Council, NGO, Balikumbat 6 5 11 7 Missionary, VDO, Elites Bafanji 2 1 3 1 State, NGO, Missionary, VDO Bamunkumbit 1 1 2 2 Local Council, NGO, VDO Baligashu 1 0 1 0 Local Council, NGO Baligansin 2 1 3 1 Local Council, NGO NGO: Non-governmental organisation, VDO: Village Development Organisation - 50 -

International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

Source: Fieldwork, 2019

The water management stakeholders in Balikumbat are classified as passive and active in terms of their role play, contributions and general participation in the sustainable management of water resources. They constitute the indigenous people, the traditional authorities, elites, NGOs, the Local Council and the State. There are stakeholders who serve as water providers, those who are water users and those who are daily water resource managers. Water providers are the donors of community water supply technologies. The water users are those who derive their daily livelihood from using the water that is harnessed while water managers see into the conception as well as the day to day operationalization and smooth functioning of the community water supply technologies. The roles and spatial involvement of the passive and active stakeholders of community water management in Balikumbat Sub-Division are varied. This portrays anthropic determinants that contribute to the efficient management of community water supplies by the seven supply stakeholders of water in Balikumbat Sub-Division (Table 3).

Table 3: Stakeholder typology, their perception and role play Major source Executing Funding system & Stakeholder Target area & structure origin perception stakeholder role respondents % Government Balikumbat Public Investment Few Council Budget government/ 29 18.13 local council water schemes identified Village Village Contributions, annual Very concerned community Development compulsory levies by in improved Organizations/ the indigenes & gifts water supply 21 13.13 Associations from charitable sources for organizations and Balikumbat & foundations Bamunkumbit NGOs National and Gifts and donations to Dominant in the International organisations and improved 17 10.62 associations sources in Bamunkumbit Moral Wealthy Build strong societal Vibrant and persons individuals/ impact on their social dominant in elite status by providing 26 16.25 Balikumbat & water supply systems Bafanji for their real estates Charitable Religious Provide water supply Dominant in 18 11.25 organisations denominations sources for their Balikumbat

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International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

presbyteries & its environs Multiparty Senators, Finance micro water Dominant in politics parliamentaria projects with annual Balikumbat ns & Council parliamentary grants 10 6.25 officials that are vote holders Nature Rain, streams Local technological Dominant in all & other expertise in water schemes of 39 24.37 surface water harvesting Balikumbat bodies Source: Fieldwork, September 2018

The trend (Table 3) shows a high dependency on local stakeholders of water provision (nature, local elites, individuals and the village communities) as the key provider of well over 53% as against foreign support through NGOs and charitable organisations that make for just about 22%. This implies that local stakeholder valorisation can be a major asset in cooperation for community water provision since it does not compete or operate on the same perception level of parity with the exotic or external stakeholders. In this situation, the government decentralisation policy that is currently implemented through the Balikumbat Council is considered to provide some 18.13 percent (Table 3) of the technologies used to manage water resources. Government input is significant because it has alternative and complementary funding sources which could be the Public Investment Budget, the Presidential Emergency Fund and the Balikumbat Council Investment Budget. There is a harmonious cooperation in the managing of these budget inputs for water schemes during the budget voting, execution and handed over for public consumption in varied technologies and models by the concern stakeholders. The schemes inter complement each other and range from boreholes to pipe borne water. During the 2018 fieldwork, some twelve boreholes were identified with some six of them provided for by the Public Investment Budget of the government and Council being three in Balikumbat, two in Baligansin and one in Bamunkumbit. The remaining half are provided by other stakeholders involved in the provision and management of water resources (Table 4).

Table 4: Provision of high technology water sources in Balikumbat Sub-Division Community Governmen Individual Religious Developmen Water t s/ institution NGOs t Total Technology Council Elites s Organisation s Boreholes 06 01 03 02 00 12 Pipe borne water 09 07 00 01 04 21 Total 15 08 03 03 04 33 Source: Fieldwork, October 2018

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International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

The State through its decentralized council structures plays a lead role in water resource management by providing 15 sustainable water schemes in Balikumbat Sub-Division though this may not be unconnected to the low cost-high-impact concept upon which they base to harvest electoral votes in various elections be it executive, legislative or municipal ever since the advent of multiparty politics in the 1990s. Benevolent and politically aspiring individuals and elites mark their names on the memories of the Balikumbat and Bafanji communities by doing just as much as the state in harnessing water resources for domestic uses. In the wake of being prominent through water provision by these elite stakeholders, the community reaps to its advantage an even greater and passively harnessed water. Once they gain the desired fame from their communities, attention is focused elsewhere on other issues that can maintain their status quo. The maintenance and repairs work on these water schemes are neglected. The resultant consequences of such stakeholder attitude towards water resources is that, too few of the water borne schemes do not function well, some are liable to frequent leakages from broken pipes issuant of agricultural and road maintenance practices.

Such elites provide pipe borne water through the development of spring sources where the spring water is trapped into storage tanks built with concrete and cement, then treated periodically before it is distributed by gravitational pipe line network into homes at times interspersed with a few common usages, few stand taps as in Balikumbat and Bafanji. In a few homes, elites construct modern wells whose edges are stabilised by concrete rings and the well water is electrically pumped into huge storage tanks of concrete or plastic on elevated pillars of 4 to 5 meters. From the tanks the water is drained for multipurpose and complementary domestic tasks such as laundry, cooking, watering of gardens and sewage needs. Other modern wells with hand pumps are common in Joguru and Njiforwang in Balikumbat; Njanum in Bafanji; Seingoh II in Baligashu and at the Market Squares in Baligansin. These have been funded and constructed through the Grassfield Projects executed by GP- DERUDEP but have been poorly conceived because a greater number of the pumps failed or the wells get dry by mid dry season (January). This is complemented in the other homes of the rural poor by Community Development Organisations and Associations that equally provide for portable water from improved water supply sources in Balikumbat, Bafanji and Bamunkumbit using pressure pipes.

Though such common technology is effective the key huddle is the reduction in pressure since the topography is rugged and undulating thereby beating off the gravitational principle used by this community technology. The Catholic and Presbyterian denominations are non-negligible stakeholders in water resource management in Balikumbat Sub-Division. They come in to rescue the communities near their presbyteries with water supply meant for their own needs. The Sacred Heart Missionaries in 2014 built two boreholes at Saint Mary’s Parish house Balikumbat worth 11,390USD just as the Presbyterian Missionaries at Bafanji developed a borehole in the Health Centre in 2003 for 3,570USD to curb water scarcity in the area and which also serves the water needs of the centre. These sources provided by the missionaries supply portable water to 413 households within their surroundings for their daily household needs as a sign of real complementarity.

Apart of these, some Non-Governmental Organisations have also been part of the process of providing water for the population. PLAN Cameroon, partnering with the Bamunkumbit Village Development - 53 -

International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

Organisation in 2006 harnessed a spring source at Agheplih through pressure pipes to the quarters of Alumndi, Akoumoun, and Melafi. In Balikumbat and Baligashu it was a United States of America based NAHKAH Foundation that offered two boreholes for Balikumbat and Baligashu in 2015 and 2016 respectively. The NAHKAH Foundation borehole for Balikumbat was built within the water deficient Munchu-Munanji quarters and thus permitting the people of Four-Corner quarter in Baligashu village the chance to have water thanks to the consent of the Fon of Balikumbat (Traditional Leader) as a significant sign of complementarity and cooperation.

3.2 Community water management Funding structures for water projects in Balikumbat Sub-Division is a cooperative combination of users, the community, local government, donors, NGOs, elites and philanthropic organizations. The bulk of the water projects are directly funded by the government through the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy like the Baligansin springs source and boreholes. In Balikumbat, the Presidential Emergency Relief Aid was used in the execution of the Fat-Fat - Ndeilu - Mbanti Water Schemes and the Nsup - Joguru Water Project to the tune of 40 million FCFA. Labour, materials, financial and technical prescriptions were provided for by the Ministry of Public Contracts. Village Development Organisation Water Schemes organise Annual General Assembly meetings during which all adults are variously levied and such funds serve for the purchase of materials and sponsoring of technical aspects of the water projects. The local population provides their own contributions mainly in the form of manual labour, materials in the form of sand, stones, wood, bamboos and financial (annual levies) per adult (Table 5).

Table 5: Local community cooperation input in water schemes in Balikumbat Perception by the population Input method Number Percentage Manual labour 47 29.38 Financial contributions 45 28.12 Materials for construction 28 17.50 Food to workers 31 19.37 Skilled technical labour 09 5.63 Total 160 100.00 Source: Fieldwork, November 2018 Women provide food for the workers during the track clearing, digging of pipelines, carrying of sand and stones for the construction of water projects in Balikumbat Sub-Division. The identification, prospection, costing, construction and sustainable management of water project or schemes require various level of community labour competences that could be considered as skilled or unskilled depending of the type of water project (Table 6).

Table 6: Labour input perception category used for water projects in Balikumbat Labour activity group Perception by population Category Number Percentage Digging of trenches Casual and unskilled 87 54.38

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International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

Clearing of vegetation Casual and unskilled 43 26.87 Porters (cement, sand, Casual and unskilled 19 11.87 water) Bricklaying/building Technical and skilled 07 04.38 Engineering (surveying & Technical and skilled 04 2.50 plumbing) Total 160 100.00 Source: Fieldwork, November 2018

The labour required for the clearing of vegetation along the tracks and stand pipe areas, digging of pipeline trenches, carrying of sand, gravel, iron rods, planks and cement to catchment and storage tank sites are provided by the local community. Skilled labour is provided by the bricklayers who build the catchments, storage tanks, aeration and stop cork chambers, stand taps and the hydraulic engineer who does the plumbing of plastic and galvanised pipes as well as manipulate other pre-fabricated items such as metal rods, cement and pipes. This is unlike the locally available stones that are quarried near water catchment or spring sources such as the Makong Water Project in Bamunkumbit, Nyambuh, Health Centre, Fat-Fat Water Projects in Balikumbat and Baligansin Water Scheme. Sand is excavated from nearby streams as Ntam-Ntam, Wetgwa, Mombe and Gahwet. Sticks and bamboos used are extracted from the raffia and mixed wood forests near the catchments. Pre-fabricated materials and other accessories such as plastics and metals in the form of valves, pipes, stop corks, head taps are supplied by enterprises dealing in building materials in the locality and beyond, especially from Mbouda, West Region, and from Ndop and Bamenda.

3.3 Community water stakeholder’s role and politics Those concerned with community water management in their role either become active or passive stakeholders. This variation was observed in the case of the cooperation and complementarity that exist water resources management in Balikumbat Sub-Division. The stakeholder politics is driven by the involvement motive of whether they are for gainful or charitable involvement and thus are either active or passive. It was observed on the whole that passive stakeholders contribute little in the formulation and execution-implementation phase of the water resource management whereas the active stakeholders for gain or charity see into the day to day execution of the project (Table 7).

Table 7: Stakeholders role in water resources management of Balikumbat % Role Stakeholders Water management stratagem perception category Government Cash contributions & policy planning 2 Passive Balikumbat Council Financial & managerial contributions 38 Active Community (CDOs) Contributions in cash & in kind 8 Passive NGOs Material & technical contributions 6 Passive Individuals Financial, technical & material contributions 43 Active Parliamentarian Material & financial contributions 2 Passive Missionaries Technical, financial & material contributions 1 Passive - 55 -

International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

Source: Fieldwork, November 2018

The stakeholders played roles in policy planning, financial, material and technical contributions towards the provision of portable water for the community. They are therefore charged with the monitoring and sustainable management of water projects executed by them with different categories of roles. Overly, Balikumbat reveals more active stakeholders than passive partnering in water supply services as active stakeholders participate for up to 97 percent in providing and maintaining portable water resources while passive stakeholders occupy just 7 percent. The active stakeholders conceive, plan and draw sustainability policies towards achieving the provision of water supply for the community in addition to the input through financial, physical, technological, moral, material, and managerial skills.

The government has designed many water schemes with good policy planning and available funds, but most often the execution phase is poorly done. Most of the technicians are not well grounded on water supply technology. The government equally follows a top down development policy whose impact is lightly felt by the community to which the project is intended. The technical supervision of the government water projects is not done regularly. Once the contractor is installed, the technical team visit the sites once and may get back there only during the handing over phase, a situation exacerbated by the socio-political strife affecting the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. Even as of 2009, a 68,000USD Public Investment Budget for rural water installation and supply for the Balikumbat community was awarded to Royal Enterprise. It was poorly executed and no management committee formed as per the terms of the bidding order. Another one costing 54,400USD was also in Baligansin awarded to Cliff and Sons Enterprise which was also poorly executed. This clearly shows that; the government and community stakeholders are passive in their management strategies. Water schemes planned and executed by the VDOs and NGOs as stakeholders are equally passive. Field observations showed that once the mandate of the steering team of the VDOs elapses the sustainability of such projects carried out by them collapses. This was evident in the Balikumbat Development Organisation Water Schemes executed by BADO in 2004.

The NGOs involved in water installation in Balikumbat Sub-Division were equally observed to be passive in sustainable water management policies. They conceive good schemes but after completion, management becomes difficult for the beneficiary community. Members of the trained Care Taker Committee become lukewarm in their action towards maintenance due to poor attitudes of the users. In Balikumbat the SCANWATER Project of 1988 failed because of the inability of the trained personnel to operate and maintain the mechanical devices of the hydraulic pump system. The community also apportioned blame on the lack of funds to purchase fuel regularly to operate the devices to pump water to the storage tanks. Even worse, with the advent of the business on old metals, plastics and irons, unknown individuals dismantled some of the mechanical devices to make up for their greedy taste for hot and ready money. The same scenario was observed in Bamunkumbit where PLAN Cameroon initiated a water project under a poverty alleviation scheme designed for the beneficiary community and even though their technology/man-powers were locally obtained, the community found it difficult to maintain the scheme few years after PLAN Cameroon handed the scheme to the community. - 56 -

International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020

In Balikumbat, Bafanji, Baligashu and Baligansin GP-DERUDEP projects of covered wells with hand pumps provided between 2005 and 2009 within the Sub-Division failed and were never replaced. Other wells dried up because they were not well sunk and many others had collapsed walls because concrete rings were not fitted to pre-empt such happenings. These contributed to post management difficulties identified as a major hindrance to sustainable water management in Balikumbat Sub- Division and qualifying the stakeholders involved as passive in their participation.

Albeit the gruesome failures observed, some stakeholders like the Balikumbat Council and some individuals or elites are involved in water management programmes portray active participation as stakeholders. The Balikumbat Council, individuals and indigenous population plays respectively roles in formulating roles governing water management by a care taker or management committee. The implementations policies of these stakeholders constitute a yard stick for evaluating whether they are passive or active in sustainable water resource management in Balikumbat Sub-Division. The Balikumbat Council has a Water Committee headed by a skilled plumber who regularly check Council water schemes. The elites with developed pipe borne water schemes equally hired the engineer (plumber) as care taker to assure regular maintenance of broken pipes and leakages on storage tanks and failed head taps for their private water schemes. The religious denominations, though are part of the water resources provision, they are not statutorily into the water business and their involvement is first for self-provision and the accomplishment of the biblical dictums of sharing with the needy. Their 3 Gs (God, Gold, Glory) of Mackinder Dominion Theory becomes limited to God’s work alone. Once they provide the community, they are expected to manage what they freely receive and the parish forges ahead with its redemptive target. The missionary borehole at Saint Mary’s Parish Presbytery is used by an insignificant proportion of the population who live closest to the Presbytery and are not regularly exploited by the neighbours due to limited access to the stand taps and hand pumps.

The water schemes managed by these stakeholders have been functioning continuously (90 percent) throughout each calendar year. The reasons behind the successes of these schemes are because of the putting in place of a very strong and vibrant water management team (care taker committee). The local pump attendants supervise the hand pumps and collect tokens as water payments from the users, at a price set by the Village Water Management Committee (VWMC) to cover preventative maintenance, repairs, attendants’ salaries, and eventually hand pump replacement (Foster, 2012). This has greatly enhanced the management and sustainability of water resources in Balikumbat Sub-Division.

On the whole water schemes provided by VDOs and elites (harnessed springs with stand taps and concrete-wall covered wells with hand pumps) such as the Nyambuh Water Project, Fat Fat-Furmsay Water Scheme, Gwanyit-Wetbenni Water Scheme, Njiforwang, Seingoh, Four Corner Baligashu and the Baligansin Centre Covered Wells are 78 percent sustainably managed. These have Management Committees that cater for the smooth functioning of the sources treating them regularly with chlorine and are even dredged at the onset of each dry season. The catchment areas of springs are protected with cover crops and planted with raffia palms, hedges with large and flat leaves. The catchments are declared as a “non-activity zone for crop and livestock farming”. Barbed-wires are used to protect the catchment from land hungry farmers and graziers who might want to reap some benefits from the - 57 -

International Journal of Humanitatis Theoreticus. Vol. 3. (Issue: 1); May, 2020 virgin nature of such localities. The population employs mostly fire tracing strategy, barbed wire, and the planting of live hedges around water catchments. Agroforestry is a recent innovation as a measure of catchment protection stratagem in Balikumbat (Table 8).

Table 8: Stakeholders perception of water catchments protection stratagems Protection stratagem Population perception Frequency Percentage Barbed wire 45 28.13 Live hedges 34 21.25 Agroforestry 25 15.63 Fire tracing 56 35.00 TOTAL 160 100.00 Source: Fieldwork, November 2018 Some of the catchment area protection methods includes, the use of dry sticks and bamboos to deter stray animals like pigs and ruminants from messing up water quality especially in times of dire need from November to April that marks the dry season in Balikumbat. This indigenous method of water management is a success strategy applied by various communities in Balikumbat Sub-Division each in her own way. While some use palm fronts in this process others use thorny branches of trees that are placed close to the ponds. These are spatial signature of involvement, participation, inter- and intra- generationality which constitute four of the seven canons of sustainability as postulated by the Brundtland Report on sustainable development. These environmental, social and economic facets fuse to justify the sustainable management of water resources in Balikumbat Sub-Division through a harmonious complementarity and cooperation between stakeholders of varied category and objectives. This permits us to establish the statistical degree of water resource management stakeholder freedom for Balikumbat (Table 9).

Table 9: Observed, expected frequencies and Chi square distribution for active and passive stakeholders in sustainable water resource management Active Passive Stakeholders O E χ2 O E χ2 Government 19 18.64 0.01 23 23.36 0.01 Balikumbat Council 22 12.43 7.38 6 15.58 5.89 Village Development Organisations 17 11.54 2.59 9 14.46 2.06 Non-Governmental Organisations 2 5.33 2.08 10 6.68 1.66 Elites 3 7.10 2.37 13 8.90 1.89 Parliamentarians 3 4.88 0.73 8 6.12 0.58 Missionaries 5 11.09 3.35 20 13.91 2.67 TOTAL 71 71.00 18.49 89 89.00 14.75 Source: Fieldwork, March 2019

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The calculated χ2 is 33.24; this is far more than the Critical Value of χ2 (Table 9) which is 12.592. As such it is evident that the active stakeholders, even though are more, do not determine the nature and pattern of community water management in Balikumbat Sub-Division as opposed to passive partners.

4 CONCLUSIONS The Balikumbat Sub-Division that topographically emerged above the rest of the Ndop plain finds itself in a water deficit in contrast to the rest of the plain that dwells in a water super splendour. The water deficit Balikumbat Sub-Division has not remained hands folded but seen strategies put in place by stakeholders to mitigate the water deficit through alternative ways of provision and management of water resources in its bid to harness its socioeconomic development. Nature apart, the sustainable water resource management in Balikumbat is thwarted by lack of full participation in decision making, widespread poverty, low level of technological infrastructures and limited capacity build up in water users. This study shows how in order to reduce the effects of these lapses complementary and cooperating stakeholders have embraced the noble mission to permit Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals a dream come true. In Balikumbat, the stakeholder roles and spatial characteristics is directly a function of the technologies used to extract water for domestic uses. Though their role shows a dominance of active stakeholders, such scenario do not necessarily dominate in their choice options. This study that portrays a golden example of varied community stakeholders fighting for a common bull through harmonious complementarity and cooperation in a rural setting is an example to emulate for similar problems for similar and other such problems.

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UN – United Nations (2012): The Millennium Development Goals. WHO (2007): World Water Day theme, 2007. WHO (2008): Regional and Global Costs of attaining the water supply and sanitation target (Target 10) of the Millennium Development Goals. WHO- World Health Organisation (2010):“Right to water. Fact sheet No. 35”. World Water Council (2006):"Costing MDG Target 10 on Water Supply and Sanitation: Cooperative Analysis, Obstacles and Recommendations". p 63.

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