Farmers’ participation in collective irrigation management in the Koga Irrigation Development Project, Ethiopia

Abstract

Irrigation technology played incommensurable role in agricultural practices as it reduces agricultural rainfall dependency and the adverse impacts of climate change. However, regardless of huge investments made in the establishment of irrigation schemes, some are collapsed soon after their operation. Among others, infirm management system and lack of beneficiaries’ active participation in collective management activities remain the critical factors. The purpose of this study was thus to scrutinize beneficiaries’ participation in collective irrigation management activities in the Koga Irrigation Development Project. Primary Data were collected from 220 randomly selected sample households. Principal Component Analysis and Censored Tobit Regression model were employed to analyze the data. The study found that households were mainly participated in regulation and controlling activities to manage the irrigation scheme. However, combinations of socio-economic and institutional factors such as annual income gains from irrigation agriculture, trainings, farmers’ perceptions, access to credit and extension services have influenced their participations. As a result, the study recommends that so as to ensure long-term collective agricultural irrigation systems sustainability, farmers should be encouraged to participate actively in various collective irrigation management activities and hindering factors should be addressed as well.