ADOPTION  AND  CONTINUED  USE  OF  NEW  SOIL  AND  WATER  CONSERVATION  MEASURES  IN  HARARGHE  HIGHLAND:  THE  CASE  OF  GOBENSA  WATERSHED,  EASTERN ETHIOPIA
Creators: name: GEZU SHIMELIS WORKINEH
Publisher: name: National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia
Year: 2013

description: As resource degradation  is a critical problem, conservation  issues  have become  vital  in 
Ethiopia. However, adoption and continuous (sustainable) use of new SWC measures by 
farmers  has  its  own  problems.  The  objective   of  this  study  is  to  investigate  factors 
affecting adoption and continued use of SWC measures in Gobensa watershed, Hararghe. 
Multistage  sampling  techniques  were  employed  to  reach  at  the  final  unit  of  sample 
size.Gobensa watershed  and three PAs  in  Gobensawatershed  were selectedby  purposive 
sampling  technique.  Villages  and  households  in  the  PAswere  taken  by  simple  random 
sampling  technique.  From  this  sample,  the  data  were  collected  by  field  observation, 
interview  and  questionnaire.  Data  were  analyzed  by  descriptive  and  logistic  regression 
methods. Qualitative primary data were  analyzed by using qualitative techniques (verbal 
description).   For  analysisof  quantitative  primary  data,  SPSS  was  employed.  Logistic 
regression  model  was  employed  to  analyze  the  influence  of  independent  variables  on 
dependent variables.
Most farmers (98.4%) responded that new SWC measures are effective in reducing soil 
degradation.  Most  of  the  sample  farmers  (92.2%)  have  positive  attitude  towards  new 
SWC  measures.  About  74%  of  the  sample  respondents  have  adopted  new  SWC 
technologies.  About  64.1%  of  the  adopter  farmers  have  continuously  used  new  SWC 
measures and about 35.9% of the farmers have not continuously used.
It was found that farmers‟ decision to adopt and use new SWC measures is influenced by 
different  factors.  Farmers  positive  attitude  towards  new  SWC  technology,  farmers‟ 
participation in SWC training, high erosion problem, steep slope, farmer‟s perception of 
erosion  as  problem  have  a  significant  positive  influence  on  farmers‟  adoption  of  new 
SWC technologies but Gender and family size have an insignificant negative influence on 
farmer‟s  adoption  of  new  SWC  technologies.  Farmers‟  perception  of  e ffectiveness  of 
SWC  technologies  and  farmer‟s  perception  of  erosion  have  a  positive  and  significant 
effect  on  farmer‟s  continued  use  of  SWC  structures.  On  the  other  hand,  farmer‟s 
participation in SWC training and land certificate  has  a negative and significant effect on 
farmers‟ continued use of SWC technologies.
To  enhance  the  profitability  of  new  SWC  technologies,  different  measures  should  be 
taken. Physical SWC technologies have to be integrated with other SWC measures, SWC 
measures  have  to  be  made  part  and  parcel  of  farming  system,  SWC  program  in  the 
watershed  should  be  participatory  and  inclusive,  Development  agent  should  provide 
SWC training for farmer, grazing and cultivation areas in hilly degraded lands and steep 
slope should be changed to enclosed areas.