Factors Influencing Farmers Decision on the Use of Introduced Soil and Water Conservation Practices in the Lowland's of Wenago Woreda, Gedeo Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Understanding the decision-making ability of farmers with regard to soil erosion is an essential take-off point in the development of policy instruments that will achieve conservation objectives. Without a thorough understanding of the factors that eventually lead to conservation investments, environmental policy makers and extension agents may not be able to communicate effectively with farmers. Therefore, this study was conducted with the objectives of identifying factors influencing farmers’ decisions on the use of introduced soil and water conservation practices in the lowland areas of wonago woreda is, Gedeo Zone, and South Nation Nationality People Regional State of Ethiopia. To conduct the research, three representative kebeles were selected from the study woreda based on prevalence of soil erosion and ongoing soil and water practices. From the selected kebeles, 120 household heads were chosen using systematic sampling from which data were gathered using both structured and unstructured questionnaires procedure. The data were analyzed using the Binary Logit model to identify the influential factors in soil and water conservation practices. From the selected seventeen (17) explanatory variables, fourteen (14) of them have shown the existence of significant association with farmer’s decision on the use of introduced soil and water conservation practices. Total household labor in man equivalent, farm distance, farm size and slope of plot were the variables that significantly influenced farmer’s decision in adopting the introduced soil and water conservation practices in the study areas. The influences of the determinant variables specified were positive except in the case of farm distance. From this study, it is concluded that socio-economic and physical factors play a major role in determining farmer's decision to adopt soil and water conservation practices. Therefore, in order to implement and adopt soil and water conservation practices measures sustainably, the government and Non-governmental organizations must take into consideration the compatibility of introduced soil and water conservation practices measures to the local agro-ecological situations and socio-economic factors and introducing soil and water conservation practices measures with relatively less labor requirements which are effective in reducing land degradation and increasing agricultural production in the study areas.