Abstract

Water is the principal resource for all living to prosper but a major limiting factor when mismanaged. The wide spread clearing of trees has caused soil erosion that is resulting silt accumulation in the reservoirs 40 to 50% /year. Purposive selection techniques have deployed for this study to gather information.  Borana community has been managing water and pasture using its customary institutions called 'Abbaa Gadaa' which formulates and enforces general laws. Open surface water are the major water sources for study area. Accordingly the respondents (80%) runoff water, during wet season while ponds, boreholes and micro-dams during the dry season. More than 81% respondents explain that community near the water point involved in almost all stages of water work activities. The mobility of herd from village is determined by water and/or pastures availability and seasonal variation; travel short distance in wet and normal dry season but long distance during drought season as per 79% of respondents. This long distance mobility is termed as the 'Furaa' herd movement. The water point development conducted in the past has negative impact on traditional systems in managing and usage of the resources. This is because of lack that proper land use planning and insufficient resource to effectively maintain and manage water points by local government.  This paper also reveals that policy makers should oversee any interventions in water case as per integration of science and indigenous knowledge in order to sustain the solution to scarcity of water in the area

Key words: Water resources, community, indigenous knowledge, water points.