FACTORS AFFECTING SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER SUPPLY PROJECT: THE CASE OF CHEHA DISTRICT, GURAGE ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

A descriptive cross sectional entitled factors affecting sustainability of water supply project study was done in Gurage zone Cheha Woreda in January 2018. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were included in interviewing 265 head of household respondents using structured survey questionnaire and 3 key informants from district water and energy office using open ended discussion questions. The objective of the study was to evaluate and realize factors affecting sustainability of water supply project and to provide inputs though possible recommendation in Gurage zone Cheha Woreda. The finding of Pearson correlation shown that independent variables such as, community participation, project financing, project organization management practices and community training have positive relationship at (.042, .035, .273**, .358**) respectively and their P value at confidence level of (P<0.01)) for organization and management practices indicates that p = 0.00 and p = 0.00 respectively and the p value for community participation and project financing at confidence level of (P<0.01) indicates that .496 and .572 respectively. The finding of linear regression also indicated that adjusted R square value was 0.142 which indicates low degree of goodness of fit meaning that about 14.2% of the variance on the dependent variable i.e. project sustainability can be explained. The coefficient result indicated that community training and organization management had t-test result= 4.94, sig= 0.001 and t-test result= 2.88, sig= 0.004 respectively. This indicates that both community training and organization management were statistically significant at P<0.05 level.