Beach Community-Designed System To Ameliorate Water Quality Deterioration in Catchments of Lake Victoria
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Date
2012
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Open Environmental Engineering Journal
Abstract
Water quality and socio-economic status of beach communities was studied in the Thruston Bay catchments of
Lake Victoria. The major aim of the study was to establish the relation between water quality and socio-economic status
of the communities in the study sites and come up with a sustainable community-designed system to control water quality
degradation. Physico-chemical characteristics of water were determined on-site while total and fecal coliforms were
determined in the laboratory using standard methods. The most probable number (MPN) technique was used to determine
the total coliforms (TC) while the fecal coliform (FC) Test was used for testing the presence or absence of fecal coliforms.
All sites tested positive for total and fecal coliforms. Borehole water had the highest MPN values followed by 10 m site.
To compliment on the water quality data collected, a socio-economic status study of beach communities was conducted
using questionnaires, structured interviews, focus group discussions and observations. Data and information on the
demographic characteristics, asset ownership, livelihood activities, social facilities, health and sanitation, communication
and outreach, solid waste and fisheries management and Beach Management Units (BMU) establishments, among others,
was collected. A method in form of a model was designed using a participatory approach by the beach communities to be
used to ameliorate lakeshore degradation by the communities in collaboration with other stakeholders.
Description
Keywords
Buluba, Fisher communities, Lake victoria, Socio-economic, Thruston bay, Water quality
Citation
Muyodi, F. J., & Kapiyo, R. (2012). Beach Community-Designed System To Ameliorate Water Quality Deterioration in Catchments of Lake Victoria. The Open Environmental Engineering Journal