Determinants of communities’ adoption and practice of soil and water conservation measures in the Jema Watershed, in the highlands of northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Natural resource degradation is a major environmental challenge that threatens ecosystem stability and rural livelihoods, particularly in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Although soil and water conservation (SWC) interventions have been widely promoted, their adoption and implementation remain limited. This study aimed to identify the key factors influencing the adoption and implementation of SWC practices. To achieve this, a household survey and key informant interviews were used. The respondents’ knowledge was measured using yes/no items, while perceptions and practices were measured using five-point Likert-scale items. The composite and mean score values were calculated, and the result values were categorized using predefined score intervals such as very low to very high. To assess the community’s perception, knowledge, and practice on SWC and to identify the key factors, correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were employed. The findings indicate that the majority of respondents achieved composite awareness and perception scores corresponding to the ‘good’ category (50–75% of the maximum attainable score), based on the predefined classification criteria. The correlation analysis indicates a strong correlation between community knowledge and perception ( r = 0.64, p < 0.05), knowledge and practice ( r = 0.83, p < 0.05), and perception and practice ( r = 0.69, p < 0.05) in the study area. The multiple regression results showed that access to training (β = 0.620), knowledge (β = 0.496), source of information (β = 0.416), and extension services (β = 0.336) were the most influential positive factors affecting SWC adoption. Perception also had a positive, though smaller effect (β = 0.108). In contrast, land tenure insecurity (β = -0.109), along with factors such as small farm size and greater distance to farmland, negatively affected the adoption of SWC practices. Overall, the study highlights that strengthening institutional support, improving access to training and information, enhancing extension services, and ensuring land tenure security are essential to promote sustainable adoption of SWC practices.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Discover Sustainability, 2026 · DOI ↗