Mbaigoto Nodjidoumde, Alsharif Kamal A, Landry Shawn, Deubel Tara F
School of Geosciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States.
Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States.
PLoS One. 2025 Jul 10;20(7):e0327893. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0327893. eCollection 2025.
Effective water resource management in developing countries requires a nuanced understanding of the social factors that influence public engagement. This study investigates the relationship between socioeconomic and demographic variables and pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in the context of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in N'Djamena, Chad. A household survey of 582 participants was conducted using purposive sampling, and data were analyzed through chi-square tests, logistic regression, and univariate analysis. The findings reveal that while wealth status does not significantly influence PEBs, education level and gender are strong predictors. Individuals with at least a high school education were 2.5 times more likely to participate in water management meetings than those with less education. Men were also significantly more likely to attend such meetings than women. These results underscore the importance of incorporating educational initiatives and gender-sensitive strategies into water governance frameworks. The study recommends early environmental education and the involvement of community and religious leaders to foster inclusive and sustainable water management practices in the Lake Chad Basin.
发展中国家有效的水资源管理需要对影响公众参与的社会因素有细致入微的理解。本研究在乍得恩贾梅纳的综合水资源管理（IWRM）背景下，调查社会经济和人口变量与亲环境行为（PEB）之间的关系。采用立意抽样对582名参与者进行了家庭调查，并通过卡方检验、逻辑回归和单变量分析对数据进行了分析。研究结果表明，虽然财富状况对亲环境行为没有显著影响，但教育水平和性别是强有力的预测因素。至少受过高中教育的人参加水资源管理会议的可能性是受教育程度较低者的2.5倍。男性参加此类会议的可能性也显著高于女性。这些结果强调了将教育举措和性别敏感战略纳入水治理框架的重要性。该研究建议开展早期环境教育，并让社区和宗教领袖参与进来，以促进乍得湖流域包容性和可持续的水资源管理实践。
