Relationship between socio-economic factors and water quality status of Chania River, Kenya

Abstract

Human related activities harm water quality. However, there is limited information on the impact of socio-economic activities on water quality in River Chania. This study focused on the determination of the effect of social and economic factors on the water quality condition of a section along the River Chania. Data used in this study were collected between October 2020 and January 2021. A survey employing cross-sectional survey design was carried out. A sample size of 60 individuals was randomly selected in study sites that were purposively sampled on the basis of human-related activities that potentially pollute River Chania. These sites were: Karimenu, Chania Estate Bridge, Ngoingwa Estate and Thika town. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics (e.g., frequencies and percentages) in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to determine how the different socio-economic factors affect water quality at a statistical significance of 5% probability level. The study found that the education level of the respondents was a positive and significant predictor of the ability of an individual to identify water quality changes in River Chania. It is recommended that human-related perturbations should be minimal to protect water quality from further deterioration.