The Role of Youth in Water Source Management in Tanzania: Experience of Villages in the Great Ruaha River, Iringa District

Youth refers to the young active human resources which in 2012 constituted about 34.7% of the total  population  of  Tanzania.  However,  there  is  a  paucity  of  information  on  the  role  of  youth  in  the management of water resources in the majority of the rural areas. This paper draws on the ex-perience of the conceptual framework for water governance at the local level. The study examines the role of youth in water source management as it draws on strategies for water management in Kihanga and Migoli Villages located adjacent the Great Ruaha River of Iringa District. The Great Ruaha River covers 47% of the largest Rufiji Basin in Tanzania. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 161 youths within the surveyed households. In-depth interviews with 5 key informants and  focus  group(s)  of  50  participants  were  used  to  supplement  data  that  could  not  be  obtained  through surveys. The results show that 59.6% of respondents were not involved in the Water Com-mittee activities. Patrolling the sources and fetching water at night are among the major strategies used  in  the  management  of  water  sources  and  supply  at  least  in  the  short  term.  These  findings  together with methods used could be replicated in other areas as they provide opportunities for the study of water governance at the local level. The study recommends the integration of young people into water committees and the establishment of water pumping stations at a suitable dis-tance from Mtera dam to reduce degradation