AGRO PASTORALISTS PERCEPTION AND WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE IN WATER HARVESTING PRACTICES IN BENATSEMAY WOREDA OF SOUTH OMO ZONE

Abstract

Expanding low cost rainwater harvesting technologies that can be constructed and managed at individual farm household level or community level is far important to solve water shortage problem in arid and semi-arid areas. However, decision to adopt and utilize rainwater harvesting is dependent on knowledge, socio-economic and cultural dynamics that influences the community’s perception, participation and better understanding of their choices in making decisions. Therefore, objective of this study is to assess agro pastoralist perception and willingness to participate in water harvesting technologies in Benatsemay Woreda of South Omo Zone. A two stage sampling technique was employed to select 192 sample households from six sample Kebeles. A primary data used for this study were collected from sample households through a structured questionnaire. Out of total 192 sample respondents, 92.7 % were willing and 7.3 % were non-willing to participate in rainwater harvesting activities. Willing respondents were asked to reveal their preferences among water storage technology groups. Accordingly, 27.53 %, 54.49 % and 17.98% were preferred clay lined pond, plastic lined pond and aboveground tank respectively. A binary logit and multinomial logit model were used to analyze agro pastoralist’s perception and willingness to participate in water harvesting practices. A binary logistic for the participation decision model result revealed that out of 12 explanatory variables hypothesized, 5 variables were significant at 1% and 5% probability level. Credit services(+) at 1%, and 4 variables: labor availability(+), distance to water source(+), perception towards water harvesting practices(+),and age(- ))were significant at 5% probability to affect the willingness of agro pastoralists to participate in water harvesting practices. A multinomial logistic for the choice decision model result revealed that out of 8 explanatory variables hypothesized, 4 variables were significant. Labour availability (+) and ownership of plot (+) at 10%, and plot distance (- ) and area of particular plot (+) at 1% probability level and have significant effect on the choice decision of rain water storage options among alternatives. Result of the study concluded that policy makers and development seekers must give attention and priority on significant variables that affect agro pastoralist’s perception and participation on water harvesting works and their preference among water storage options. And also gender issues in the planning and implementation of water harvesting activities.