Geography and Environmental Studies

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Browsing Geography and Environmental Studies by Subject "Adoption of Social Conservation Structures"

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    The Adoption of Social Conservation Structures in the Western Catchment of Cherake River, Southern Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 1992-06) Neka, Mulugeta; Tegene, Belay (PhD)
    The Western Catchment of Cherake River is one of the erosion prone areas in Ethiopia. Natural and human factors in combination have caused considerable erosion damage to the soil resource in the area. In order to mitigate the severity of this problem, structural conservation measures have been intr-oduced since 1985.. To e>:amine the adoption of the conser-vati on structures, a sampl e of 200 plots vJ;ere randoml y selected and the owners of thes e plots were interviewed with reference to their respective sample plots. Of the nine independent variables considered for the e >:pl anati on of the adopti on of the conser-vati on structures, the stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the at ti tude of f arme,..-s to,,"Jards the conser-vati on structures l' perception of soil erosion, and size oT +arm are the most significant .. The other factors that inflLlenced majority of farmers to accept the conservation structure are its efficiency at controlling run off., reducing loss of soil and fertilizers., and increase of yield in lower altitudinal zones. On the contrary, inconveniences to the crosswise ploughing in steeper slopes, habitation of moles in the conservation strLlctures, and loss of cropland have caused some of the farmers to reject the conservation structures. These shortcomings of the conservation structures are the major causes for lack of maintenance of structures, development of terraces, and efficient control of erosion.