Farmers’ profiles and attitudes towards the implementation of rainwater harvesting systems in intensive agriculture
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are presented as a feasible alternative to increase water resources for agricultural use. However, the installation of these systems in farmers’ holdings is very limited. It is necessary to know the opinions and attitudes of farmers towards these systems to deve...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Routledge
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10835/14896 https://doi.org/10.1080/14735903.2023.2189402 |
| Summary: | Rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems are presented as a feasible alternative to
increase water resources for agricultural use. However, the installation of these
systems in farmers’ holdings is very limited. It is necessary to know the opinions
and attitudes of farmers towards these systems to develop specific measures that
respond to their needs. This study analyses the case of intensive agriculture in
southeastern Spain. The objective is to understand the attitudes of farmers in
relation to the installation of RWH systems. A profile of farmers regarding RWH
usage was developed through cluster analysis techniques. The results show that
the detected farmer groups have different preferences and attitudes regarding
RWH and the incentives that could be implemented to encourage its use. The
most important obstacles to implementing RWH are not only economic but also
technical and agronomic. Additionally, the degree of environmental awareness a
farmer has plays a key role in their decision to install RWH systems.
Recommendations based on the findings of this study are provided for policymakers.
The results of this research may be useful for those regions that are
considering RWH, especially in areas where water availability is a limiting factor for
agricultural development or compromises its sustainability. |
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