Impact of Urban Density on Water Resources Management in Informal Communities of Kabong District, Jos North Local Government Area

Equitable access to safe and reliable water is a major concern in informal settlements, where high population density, limited infrastructure, and weak governance intensify water insecurity. This study examines the water management strategies employed by residents and the local authority in Kabong, focusing on their effectiveness in the context of dense population and informal settlement dynamics. A mixed-method approach was adopted for this study, with a cross-sectional survey conducted among 262 respondents. The selection of respondents was based on the Respondent-Driven Sampling technique due to the absence of official data on population, household listing, and the hidden nature of informal water vendors in Kabong, while purposive sampling was used to select 6 Key Informants for the interview. Results revealed that high population density, inadequate water infrastructure, power outages, poor management, limited income, and seasonal rainfall variability, among other factors, hamper resilient water resource management mechanisms that address both household and livelihood water needs in Kabong. The water infrastructure is dominated by boreholes (49.6%) and shallow hand-dug wells (17.9%); however, 77.4% of respondents indicated that the existing infrastructure was inadequate for community needs, with non-functional boreholes (43.1%), broken pipes (18.7%), and a combination of other issues (24.8%) being the most reported problems. Findings also showed that the management and maintenance of water infrastructure are fragmented, mainly handled by private entities (40.1%) or individual residents (25.2%), with only a few communities receiving minimal government support. Common coping strategies used by residents include reducing water use (35.9%), storing water (29.0%), and a combination of various methods (25.2%), though only 58.4% perceive these measures as effective. The study recommended integrated community-driven approaches supported by government interventions to improve water accessibility, reliability, and sustainable management in Kabong.

Density, infrastructure, equitable, management, unsafe

1. Abah, R. C., & Egwu, S. O. (2019). Challenges of urban water supply in Nigeria: A case studyof Jos, Plateau State. Journal of Environmental Management and Safety, 10(1), 87 101. https://doi.org/10.5897/ JEMS2019.0310 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ademiluyi, I. A., & Odugbesan, J. A. (2020). Challenges of urban water supply in Sub-Saharan Africa: A case study approach. Journal of Urban Studies, 34(2), 123–135. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Adeniyi, O., Ogunwumi, O., & Alabi, T. (2021). Water quality and access in Makoko, Lagos: Addressing the challenges of urban water management in informal settlements. Water International, 46(4), 533 - 547. https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2021.1935814 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Agada, P. O., & Ijeoma, O. (2021). Water scarcity and urban resilience in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Water Resources Management, 35(5), 1587-1602. ttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-021-02823-y among the Residents of Informal Settlement in Jos Metropolis, Nigeria. Afropolitan Journals, 11(1),67–81. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Audu, M. D., Wazis, H. C., & Suleiman, I. (2020). Water quality assessment and health risks in Angwan Rukuba, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192(3), 156. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08153-2 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bello, A. R., & Oyebanji, O. A. (2020). Spatial inequalities in access to potable water supply in Jos, Nigeria. Journal of Geography and Regional Planning, 13(3), 41–51. https://doi.org/10.5897/JGRP2019.0774 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Da Silva, J., Lucas, K., & Thompson, M. (2019). The challenges of water management in informal settlements: A case study of Nairobi, Kenya. Water Policy, 21(1), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2018.192 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Dijkstra, L., de Groot, W., & van der Meer, J. (2021). Urban density and water resource management in informal settlements. Urban Studies Research, 2021, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8803294 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Ezeh, A., Oyebode, O., Satterthwaite, D., Chen, Y.-F., Ndugwa, R., Sartori, J., ... & Lilford, R. J. (2020). The history, geography, and sociology of slums and the health problems of people who live in slums. The Lancet, 389(10068), 547-558. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140 6736(16)31650-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Ezeh, C., Adebayo, S., & Madu, E. (2022). Impacts of informal settlements on water quality in African cities: A review. Environmental Research, 15(6), 231–245. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Gyang, J. D., & Akpan, E. A. (2019). The impact of urbanisation on water resources in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Urban Water Journal, 16(4), 267-275. https://doi.org/10.108 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. IWSA. (2023). Water infrastructure sustainability in Nigeria: A systematic review. Water Supply, 25(11). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Johnston, L. G., Hakim, A. J., Dittrich, S., Burnett, J., Kim, E., & White, R. G. (2021). Emerging Approaches to sampling hidden populations in public health research: A scoping review. Public Health, 191, 149–156. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Keough, S. B. (2021). Water delivery and the creation of hydrosocial routes: House-to-house water delivery in Niamey, Niger. Journal of Hydrology, [volume], [pages]. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Kumar, R. (2019). Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners (5th ed.). SAGEPublications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Lee, J., & Kim, H. (2022). Technological innovations for water management in informal communities: A review. Water Research, 201, 117-129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117415 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Linton, J., & Budds, J. (2014). The hydrosocial cycle: Defining and mobilising a relational–dialectical approach to water. Geoforum, 57, 170–180. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Nanle, V. Y., Benshak, A. B., & Mailumo, A. S. (2023). Exploring the State of Municipal Water Supply Infrastructure: Towards a Sustainable Water Provision in Informal Settlements of Jos Metropolis, Nigeria. Afropolitan Journals, 14(2), 110–123. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Nchor, J. U., & Ukam, L. E. (2024). Decreasing access to water and coping strategies for shortage in the informal settlements of Calabar, Nigeria. Sustainability, 16(11), 4603. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16114603 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Nkuna, Z., Madonsela, B., & Nzimande, N. (2019). Community engagement in informal settlements: A case study of Durban, South Africa. Journal of Urban Affairs, 41(6), 744- 763. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2018.1470913 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Nwachukwu, C. M., Anugwo, M. N., & Amadi, A. N. (2020). Water supply challenges in peri-urban settlements of Nigeria: Case study of Jos metropolis. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 77(2), 312–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207233.2019.1687029 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Ocheri, M., Onugba, A., & Atoma, C. N. (2014). Hydrogeological and geotechnical characteristics of Jos Plateau and implications for groundwater development. Journal of Geology and Mining Research, 6(3), 51–60. https://doi.org/10.5897/JGMR2013.0192 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Ochonma, L. O., & Oghenero, D. E. (2021). Health impacts of waterborne diseases in informal settlements in Jos, Nigeria. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 11(2), 199-207. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2021.190 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Patel, R., & Smith, A. (2022). Challenges and solutions for water management in informal urban settlements. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 148(3), 04022014. https://doi.org/10.1061/JUPDDM.0000657 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Popartan, L. A. (2023). The urban hydrosocial cycle: Why should engineers care? Open Research Europe, 3(23), 1–15. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Reddy, B., & Sharma, P. (2023). Infrastructure development for water management in high-density informal communities. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 39(1), 58-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2023.2048376 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Ricart, S. (2023). Reinforcing the hydrosocial cycle to foster water governance: A perspective. Frontiers in Agronomy, 5, 1146262. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Rodríguez, C. (2024). The hydrosocial cycle and inequalities in access to urban water: A case from Santiago.Water, 16(19), 2811. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Satterthwaite, D., Archer, D., Colenbrander, S., Dodman, D., Hardoy, J., Mitlin, D., & Patel Smit, B., Smit, B., & McLean, R. (2020). Water contamination and health risks in informal urban settlements: A global perspective. Environmental Research Letters, 15(7), 074021. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab9d5b [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Smit, B., Smit, B., & McLean, R. (2020). Water contamination and health risks in informal urban settlements: A global perspective. Environmental Research Letters, 15(7), 074021. https://doi.org/ 10.1088/ 1748-9326/ab9d5b [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. UN-Water. (2023). SDG 6 synthesis report on water and sanitation 2023: A global blueprint for acceleration. UN-Water. https://www.unwater.org/publications/sdg-6-synthesis-report 2023 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. WHO & UNICEF. (2021). Progress on drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene in urban areas: 2021 update. Geneva: World Health Organisation. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. World Resources Institute. (2020). The state of urban water security in developing nations. Urban Water Review, 20(1), 12–29. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Payout Policy of Listed Plantation Companies in Sri Lanka
• Urban Sustainability in North-East India: A Study through the lens of NER-SDG index
• Performance Assessment of Predictive Forecasting Techniques for Enhancing Hospital Supply Chain Efficiency in Healthcare Logistics
• The Fractured Self in Julian Barnes' Postmodern Fiction: Identity Crisis and Deflation in Metroland and the Sense of an Ending
• Impact of Flood on the Employment, Labour Productivity and Migration of Agricultural Labour in North Bihar