Coping Strategies for Unreliable Domestic Water Supply in Ubungo Municipal Council, Tanzania

Abstract

Despite ongoing government efforts to improve water service delivery, unreliable domestic water supply continues to affect many households in Ubungo Municipal Council, Tanzania. This study examined household coping strategies for unreliable domestic water supply in the municipality. A convergent parallel mixed-methods research design was adopted. Simple random sampling was used to select 397 household heads for the household survey, while purposive sampling selected 10 key informants for in-depth interviews and 17 participants for focus group discussions. Data were collected through household questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics in IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20, whereas qualitative data were analysed through qualitative content analysis using NVivo Version 12. The findings indicate that the most common coping strategies were adjusting household water consumption (67%), harvesting rainwater during the wet season (58%), and expanding water storage capacity (53%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that household size, income, sex of the household head, education level, and the availability of storage facilities and space significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the choice of coping strategies. The study concludes that unreliable domestic water supply is driven by infrastructure, management, demand, and financial constraints. Households respond by adopting multiple coping strategies, with their choices shaped by socio-economic factors. The study recommends that the Dar es Salaam Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (DAWASA) and local government authorities strengthen water supply infrastructure, improve system management, and support households in adopting sustainable strategies for managing water shortages.