ASSESSMENT OF RAINWATER HARVESTING TECHNOLOGIES AND DETERMINANT OF ADOPTION AMONG HOUSEHOLDS IN MOHAMOUD HAYBE DISTRICT, HARGEISA, SOMALILAND

Abstract

Rain water harvesting has been practiced for many years and has positively impacted life, agriculture and economy. Despite its known benefit, the adoption of rainwater harvesting is slow in the Mohamud Haybe district, and water scarcity remains a major constraint to life and economic development in the district. This study was conducted to assess rain water harvesting technologies (RWHT) and determinants that affect the adoption of rain water harvesting in Mohamoud Haybe district, Hargeisa, Somaliland. The study area was purposefully selected for the study taking into account the presence of rainwater harvesting technologies and accessibility, and stratified sampling with proportionate sampling was employed in several households. To that effect, a household survey was conducted on a total of 130 households, and a focus group discussion was carried out with selected household individuals. The result from the descriptive analysis indicated that the age of household heads, labor, and market accessibility have a significant and negative effect on the adoption of RWHT whereas adoption of RWHT has a significant and positive role on the people of the district. The education status and income category indicated that has significantly influenced households’ level of RWHT adoption and implementation. Furthermore, the result of descriptive studies shows that roof tanks and ponds were practiced by most of the communities in this area. The choice of water harvesting technologies was influenced by health, agricultural yields, food security, technical development, and the economic status of the households. The results, therefore, underscore the potential gains from rainwater harvesting technologies in improving household income and food security, and the need to promote the technologies as a package, because a household may implement different technologies in the same field depending on diverse social, economic, institutional, and environmental factors.