Knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations of farmers in Abu Dhabi and Western Australia on groundwater management: A comparison study
Authors: Alyaarbi Yusri , Camkin Jeff , Neto Susana , Wegener Peter 
Published: November 2019

In Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, groundwater is the only natural freshwater resource. This resource is under great stress due to high extraction rates, low precipitation/recharge rates, and increasing levels of salinity. This is comparable with groundwater issues in Western Australia, which also faces water challenges. Just like Western Australia, Abu Dhabi is heavily dependent on groundwater to support agricultural irrigation, which uses nearly 70% of the groundwater extracted. Unlike Western Australia, however, agriculture in Abu Dhabi relies heavily on governmental subsidies, despite its negligible contribution to the economy. This study aimed to fill the gap in understanding about Abu Dhabi farmers’, and Western Australian farmers’, knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations concerning groundwater management. A comparison of the findings related to these factors among both populations was used to develop ideas for future groundwater awareness programs targeting Abu Dhabi farmers. The theoretical framework of this research was based on the fifth step of Bennett's Hierarchy model, which is a popular method for measuring the effectiveness of extension programs. Twelve Abu Dhabi farmers were interviewed regarding groundwater management in Abu Dhabi. The interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis, and the findings were compared to Western Australian farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations concerning sustainable agricultural practices, which were synthesized from relevant literature. The study revealed that the interviewed Abu Dhabi farmers realized the importance of agriculture and groundwater. However, they viewed agriculture more as a hobby than a source of income and had cultural and social ties to farming. They also possessed limited knowledge regarding agriculture's environmental impacts. A trust or communication problem between the farmers and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, the governmental authority in charge of irrigation and agricultural extension, was also identified. Abu Dhabi farmers chose basic measures to preserve groundwater, and most were unwilling to adopt additional practices. Western Australian farmers, on the other hand, possessed more detailed knowledge about agriculture's environmental impacts and were willing to adopt sustainable practices so long as they did not affect their income. The following recommendations are made for extension programs targeting Abu Dhabi farmers: Focus on developing a shared vision regarding groundwater conservation; include a farm laborers’ extension program; foster trust between extension agents and farmers; use demonstration farms for new technologies; and link governmental farmers’ subsidies to the adoption of water efficiency. This study calls for future research on the objectives of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority's water conservation extension programs, as well as on the effect of demographic factors on Abu Dhabi farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations.