Attitudes, Knowledge, Beliefs and Behaviour of Resident of Mwanza City towards Environmental Pollution in Lake Victoria

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the attitudes, knowledge, beliefs and behaviour of residents of Mwanza city in Tanzania towards environmental pollution in Lake Victoria. The participants were divided into five categories; policy makers', policy implementers', facilitators, media and the beneficiaries of Lake Victoria. The total population was 61 people. Out of the population 22 interviewees and 39 questionnaires were done. Cluster, purposive, systematic and snowball sampling methods were used to arrive at the sample size. The coded and edited data were entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and NVIVO programs. The data was then analyzed, computed and presented in tables, charts and graphs. The data was then analyzed, in terms of the themes; attitudes, knowledge, beliefs and behaviour. Key findings of the study were that a) the people of Mwanza know that the lake is polluted and that it is ongoing; b) beneficiaries criticized the government for its failure to control pollution; c) some traditional beliefs among the various communities in Mwanza City contribute to the pollution of the lake; d) there was no effective communication among the stakeholders of lake Victoria regarding pollution. Among the recommendations of this study are a) effective communication among the stakeholders of Lake Victoria can help to minimize, if not eliminate, pollution in the lake. Therefore, every effort should be made to improve communication among the stake holders of Lake Victoria in order to curb the increasing pollution in the Lake; b) there should be partnership between the government and the mass media.