Effect of new borehole pricing regime in the wake of groundwater regulations in Zambia.
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Date
2023
Authors
Mkandawire, Violet V.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Water is life, essential for human existence, and its importance for individual health as well as the well-being of a nation and access to good quality water cannot be overemphasized. It is therefore believed that a borehole is a hydraulic structure which when properly designed and constructed, permits the economic withdrawal of water from an aquifer that can give fresh water to human beings, and other uses such agriculture, aquaculture, hydropower, industries and recreation. However, the fact that many boreholes fail, or perform poorly within a short time from construction is partly due, to a lack of professionalism in the drilling sector and the agencies and individuals that engage with it. Hence, the research objectives of the paper are generally focusing on how the
regulation has impacted the pricing of a borehole in Zambia and provide the benefits that goes with regulating the borehole drilling and how the consumers stand to benefit from the groundwater regulation. The study used a descriptive research design targeting a total of 65 respondents. The participants
in the study, included WARMA (n=5), Drilling Companies and Clients/Customers (n=60). The non-probability sampling and purposive sampling to be specific was used for the targeted respondents as the study focused on Lusaka Province, Livingstone, Mongu, and Ndola, which are the locations of and bases of operations for most drilling companies. It employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches as it entailed the having gained an in-depth understanding of the phenomena under the study and help to understand the reality and how people interpret their different borehole drilling experiences. The study discovered that drilling companies were registered companies, and that the majority of them were licensed with WARMA in class B which is mostly for the international companies and that after the introduction of drilling licenses by WARMA, the cost of drilling a borehole went higher than before such that both clients and drilling business companies were affected negatively hence the uproar. It is evident that participants had strong opinion that drilling companies and their consumers suffer the impact when ground water and boreholes are regulated since they forced to pay more, and it takes a long time for drilling companies to obtain a license, without which it is impossible to drill a borehole. On the other hand, it was revealed that borehole regulations ensures that all people
have equal access to water resources that are available in adequate quantities and of high enough quality for a variety of purposes, such as commercial, the generation of hydropower, leisure, agriculture, mining, and navigation. In conclusion, the development of management and monitoring of borehole standards strategies for borehole drilling is necessary since groundwater pollution is site specific and that to provide a good water supply service, every water borehole drilled, and every pump installed must be undertaken in a professional manner. Groundwater regulations have brought sanity in the industry thereby
promoting sustainability of the ground water resources by inhibiting ramparted drilling of borehole which may lead to depletion of the resource. Further, the regulations provide for water quality standards that enforces assessments and treatment of polluted water which promotes the positive strides made by the government to increase the provision of safe and clean water. In addition to the enforcement of ground water regulations, it is imperative for the regulator to carry out sensitization programmes in communities and make sure that people understand why the regulation of drilling of boreholes was introduced in Zambia and its benefits to both the drilling business companies and the public at large.
Description
Thesis of Master’s in Business Administration