Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Its Determinants: The Case of the Handosha Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia
For the past forty years, Ethiopia has been promoting sustainable land management activities to enhance agricultural productivity. This study was intended to identify the factors determining farmers’ adoption and continued use of soil bund measures in the Handosha watershed, Omo-Gibe river basin. A...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Earth |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/4/2/17 |
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| author | Habtamu Dagne Engdawork Assefa Ermias Teferi |
| author_facet | Habtamu Dagne Engdawork Assefa Ermias Teferi |
| author_sort | Habtamu Dagne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For the past forty years, Ethiopia has been promoting sustainable land management activities to enhance agricultural productivity. This study was intended to identify the factors determining farmers’ adoption and continued use of soil bund measures in the Handosha watershed, Omo-Gibe river basin. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 340 households using the Heckman sample selection model. A total of 235 (69.12%) households adopted soil bunds, but only 89 (37.87%) of them were sustainably practicing soil bunds on their farm plots. Most adopters widely practiced soil bunds (49.42%), followed by stone bund (15.9%), and Fanyajuu (10%). The empirical results of the Heckman sample selection model showed that the farming experience, land tenure security, and perception of profitability of conservation measures were significantly positively affected the adoption of soil bund. Whereas, farm plot size and participation in off farm activities significantly negatively influenced the adoption of soil bund. Sustainable use of soil bund measures were significantly positively influenced by land tenure security, family size, and frequency of extension contact, whereas the distance between farm plots and home, and farm plot size were negatively affected. As a result, a design of agro-ecological-based soil and water conservation (SWC) measures was essential in reducing farmland vulnerability to soil erosion and food insecurity. It has been concluded that conservation practices should not only focus on the implementation and biophysical factors but also consider the socioeconomic interests of the farmers to improve the sustainable use of conservation technologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:33:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ca022a76c594de880ecaf3ac01be9d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-4834 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T02:33:33Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Earth |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ca022a76c594de880ecaf3ac01be9d02023-11-18T10:04:48ZengMDPI AGEarth2673-48342023-05-014231533010.3390/earth4020017Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Its Determinants: The Case of the Handosha Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, EthiopiaHabtamu Dagne0Engdawork Assefa1Ermias Teferi2Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wachemo University, Hosana P.O. Box 365, EthiopiaCollege of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, EthiopiaCollege of Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, EthiopiaFor the past forty years, Ethiopia has been promoting sustainable land management activities to enhance agricultural productivity. This study was intended to identify the factors determining farmers’ adoption and continued use of soil bund measures in the Handosha watershed, Omo-Gibe river basin. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 340 households using the Heckman sample selection model. A total of 235 (69.12%) households adopted soil bunds, but only 89 (37.87%) of them were sustainably practicing soil bunds on their farm plots. Most adopters widely practiced soil bunds (49.42%), followed by stone bund (15.9%), and Fanyajuu (10%). The empirical results of the Heckman sample selection model showed that the farming experience, land tenure security, and perception of profitability of conservation measures were significantly positively affected the adoption of soil bund. Whereas, farm plot size and participation in off farm activities significantly negatively influenced the adoption of soil bund. Sustainable use of soil bund measures were significantly positively influenced by land tenure security, family size, and frequency of extension contact, whereas the distance between farm plots and home, and farm plot size were negatively affected. As a result, a design of agro-ecological-based soil and water conservation (SWC) measures was essential in reducing farmland vulnerability to soil erosion and food insecurity. It has been concluded that conservation practices should not only focus on the implementation and biophysical factors but also consider the socioeconomic interests of the farmers to improve the sustainable use of conservation technologies.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/4/2/17soil bundHeckmansample selectionSWCadoptionsustainability |
| spellingShingle | Habtamu Dagne Engdawork Assefa Ermias Teferi Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Its Determinants: The Case of the Handosha Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia Earth soil bund Heckman sample selection SWC adoption sustainability |
| title | Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Its Determinants: The Case of the Handosha Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia |
| title_full | Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Its Determinants: The Case of the Handosha Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Its Determinants: The Case of the Handosha Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Its Determinants: The Case of the Handosha Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia |
| title_short | Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies and Its Determinants: The Case of the Handosha Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia |
| title_sort | sustainable use of soil and water conservation technologies and its determinants the case of the handosha watershed omo gibe river basin ethiopia |
| topic | soil bund Heckman sample selection SWC adoption sustainability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/4/2/17 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT habtamudagne sustainableuseofsoilandwaterconservationtechnologiesanditsdeterminantsthecaseofthehandoshawatershedomogiberiverbasinethiopia AT engdaworkassefa sustainableuseofsoilandwaterconservationtechnologiesanditsdeterminantsthecaseofthehandoshawatershedomogiberiverbasinethiopia AT ermiasteferi sustainableuseofsoilandwaterconservationtechnologiesanditsdeterminantsthecaseofthehandoshawatershedomogiberiverbasinethiopia |