Determining the factors affecting farmers water conservation behavior in Selsele Township: Application of the Norm Activation Model

Concern over the depletion of natural resources in general, and water scarcity in particular, has stimulated the development and implementation of some policies aimed at changing farmer's behavior in terms of conserving water. In this regard, government has recently begun to invest on researches supporting the technical solutions on conserving water in the agricultural sector as the biggest consumer. However, the success of this policy is dependent on farmer side in terms of adoption and behavior through a voluntary action. The present study uses the norm activation model (NAM) as a theoretical basis to predict the personal norm and behavior regarding water conservation through a survey on 360 farmers selected using a multistage, stratified random sampling method in Selsele Township. Data was collected by using a researcher-made questionnaire. After preparing the questionnaire and ensuring its validity by experts, its reliability was confirmed by calculating Cronbach's alpha values for the variables investigated through a pilot study. Findings revealed that, two variables influenced on the personal norm toward water conservation namely ascription of responsibility and self-efficacy. Water conservation behavior, also was significantly determined by personal norm. Therefore, it is suggested that by increasing the awareness level coupled with the responsibility of farmers towards water issues, their ethical commitment on performing appropriate conservation behaviors would be strengthened. Also, delegating enough authority to farmers as well as providing facilities for maintenance, repairing and rehabilitation of water distribution networks and irrigation equipment can motivate farmers and encourage them to conserve water resources.