Factors Affecting Adoption of Watershed Management Program in MirabAbaya Districts of Southern Ethiopia

Background:The causes of land degradation processes are invariably a combination of loss of vegetation cover, overgrazing, and agricultural malpractices which are exacerbated by the pressure of the increasing population. The causes of land degradation processes are invariably a combination of loss of vegetation cover, overgrazing, and agricultural malpractices which are exacerbated by the pressure of the increasing population. The effect of land degradation and its steady annual expansionis hardly noticed since it is a long-term and pervasive process. Land degradation is an important issue because of its adverse impact on agronomic productivity, the environment, and its effect on food security and quality of life. Results:The study was conducted in the Achekore sub-watershed of adopters and Layotirgasub-watershed nonadopters of the Mirab-Abaya district. The major objective of the study was to investigate the factors affecting the adoption of the watershed program. The study used random sampling techniques and selected 334 total sample sizes, and analyzed using an econometric model called a binary logistic model. The findings revealed that among the hypothesized explanatory variables included in the model, land size and land tenure were found to affect the dependent variable at a 5% significant level, whereas age, gender, family size, participation in the non-farm activity, distance, and slope variables influencing at 1% significant level. Moreover, Education and extension contact variables were found not significant to the adoption of watershed management technologies. Conclusions:It is concluded that the watershed management practice is adopted by the community as it plays a significant role to enhance households’ livelihood, ecosystem balance, and coping with climate change impacts