Factors Influencing Soil and Water Conservation Adoption in Basheri, Gheshnashm and Shmangus Laelai, Eritrea

Abstract

In response to widespread land degradation remarkable Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) interventions were carried out in Eritrea. Nonetheless, such interventions were not adopted by farmers and the problem still persists, hence this research was carried out from June 2015 to June 2016 to identify the factors affecting the SWC practices in Eritrea. Seventy two farm household heads were selected through quota simple random sampling and data was collected through group discussions, pair-wise problem ranking, participatory transect walks and semi-structured household questionnaire surveys. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model were used for data analysis. The results indicated that only 23.61% of the respondents practice proper SWC in their farms. Moreover, the logistic regression analysis revealed that off-farm activities, land tenure insecurity, educational level of household head and household head being female had significant negative effects on SWC efforts, whereas slope of the farm showed significant positive effect. Land tenure insecurity, weak extension service and low agricultural production were also ranked by farmers as the first three constraints in SWC practices. As the legacy of the past food for work and cash for work programs, SWC is considered as a paid-work by local communities. Hence, appropriate agricultural extension, land tenure security and introduction of agroforestry farming systems are recommended in the study area.