Factors influencing the use of rainwater for agricultural irrigation: the case of greenhouse agriculture in southeast Spain

Autor: Juan Francisco Velasco Muñoz, Belén López Felices, José Ángel Aznar Sánchez, I.M. Román-Sánchez
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua. 72:185-201
ISSN: 1605-3974
0003-7214
DOI: 10.2166/aqua.2023.205
Popis: The availability and quality of water resources for agricultural irrigation are being increasingly compromised by different factors. In this context, the installation of rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems for use in agricultural holdings can contribute to mitigating this problem. However, the use of these systems by farmers continues to be very low. This paper analyses the factors that influence a farmer's decision to adopt these systems to take advantage of rainwater. Greenhouse agriculture in southeast Spain is the case studied. For this, a binary logistic regression model based on a survey administered to farmers was used. Among the variables found to be significant, the most important variables are the quantity of water in the pond, the pond capacity and environmental awareness. The variables that least affect the adoption decision are age, education level and income. These results have allowed the development of the main lines of action for policy-makers to intervene in order to promote the adoption of these systems. These measures focus on enhancing the training of farmers, providing them with financial support and boosting their environmental awareness. The results of this study lead to improved research on farmers’ behaviour and sustainable management of water resources in agriculture.
Databáze: OpenAIRE