Reliability of indigenous knowledge in monitoring and mapping groundwater fluctuations in Zimbabwe

Type Journal Article - International Journal of Development and Sustainability
Title Reliability of indigenous knowledge in monitoring and mapping groundwater fluctuations in Zimbabwe
Author(s)
Volume 3
Issue 1
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2014
Page numbers 231-241
URL http://isdsnet.com/ijds-v3n1-15.pdf
Abstract
The research was aimed at assessing the accuracy of indigenous knowledge data on groundwater fluctuations when compared to scientific measurements in order to ascertain if it can be used for practical groundwater management. The study was done at three sites in ward 28 of Zaka district in Zimbabwe. Firstly the study located local community individuals knowledgeable on groundwater issues in the area. Questionnaires were then used to extract semi statistical information on the patterns of seasonal groundwater fluctuations from the year 2004-2010. The data was then entered into SPSS to review trends and facilitate correlation analysis with actual groundwater data. Correlation analysis was done using the Spearman correlation coefficient to determine if the two variables in question were related to each other and the strength of their relationship. The results at all sites showed that the correlations between estimated groundwater levels from indigenous knowledge and actual recorded levels had correlation coefficients between 0.755 and 0.991 that were statistically significant. This means that estimation of groundwater fluctuations can be reliably made based on indigenous knowledge in the absence of hydrological monitoring and the data can be used for groundwater resources development and management.

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