Farmer’s Willingness to Accept Buffer Zone Land around Lake Tana: Evidence from Fogera and Libokemkem Districts, Ethiopia

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to identify the determinants of rice farmers’ willingness to accept for leaving the land around Lake Tana as a buffer zone. The study used the household survey collected from 189 respondents by using semi structured questionnaire. A significant difference in household’s characteristics between who are WTA and not WTA was observed. Farmers were reported that water hyacinth appeared on rice farms since 2013. Majority of households were not willing to leave their land as a buffer zone. Based on binary logistic model estimation results, household rice farming experience, sex, residence from lake Tana, location and perception on the importance of conserving Lake Tana ecosystem were affected the decision of households’ willingness to leave the land as buffer zone. The study suggested that the adoption of payment for ecosystem services as national conservation and livelihoods enhancement policy tool to conserve ecosystems.

Keywords: rice farmers; water hyacinth; willingness to accept; binary logistic model

DOI: 10.7176/JESD/13-23-04

Publication date: December 31^st 2022