Assessing sustainable management practices of expert-introduced physical soil and water conservation measures

Abstract

Soil erosion is a significant environmental and socio-economic concern. Soil and water conservation methods, guided by experts, have been developed and implemented through various channels such as government initiatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and public campaigns. These efforts aim to mitigate the adverse effects of erosion. The effective maintenance of soil and water conservation measures by farmers is of paramount importance in ensuring the sustainable utilization of such measures over an extended period of time. The objective of this study was to evaluate the attitude of farmers and their implementation of sustainable management techniques regarding physical soil and water conservation measures provided by experts. Field data were obtained through the process of conducting interviews with a total of 92 households residing within a watershed that is predominantly engaged in agricultural activities. To enhance and organize home responses, the research team included key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The results of the study indicated that a significant majority of farmers (97.8%) held the perception that soil erosion was a prevailing issue. The causes of erosion were identified as frequently cultivation (21.3%), inadequate implementation of physical soil and water conservation practices (19.6%), excessive precipitation (17.9%), degradation of conservation structures (16.7%), unregulated grazing (15.3%), and deforestation (9.2%). Indigenous conservation strategies, such as the utilization of traditional diversion ditches, as well as the adoption of introduced soil and water conservation techniques like Fanya juu and soil bunds, were employed with the aim of mitigating the adverse effects of erosion. While a majority of farmers, specifically 65.2%, have adopted the improved conservation measures on their agricultural land, it is noteworthy that a significant proportion, approximately 79.3%, have not adequately maintained or repaired these imposed conservation measures. The majority of the cropland has seen substantial damage to the designed measures as a result of inadequate upkeep. The scarcity of labor and insufficient knowledge and skills provide significant constraints for farmers in effectively implementing designed conservation measures. Nevertheless, it seems that farmers are not inclined to invest their labor and financial resources in order to maintain the introduced structures, as they are mostly established through public campaigns or government/NGO incentives. Hence, it is imperative for the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to allocate resources towards the promotion of awareness, policy execution, and other pertinent matters that support the long-term viability of the introduced conservation measures.