Adoption of water and soil conservation technologies in Rwenzori region, Western Uganda

Abstract

Despite investments to combat land degradation in the Rwenzori region of Western Uganda, the adoption of water and soil conservation technologies remains low. This study analyzes the socio-economic, institutional, and geographic factors driving smallholder adoption. Cross sectional data were collected from 385 households in the mountainous Karangura Sub-County, Kabarole district. Descriptive statistics reveal that 23.4%, 16.9%, and 8.1% of the household heads adopted contour bunds, conservation tillage, and a joint integration of both technologies, respectively. A multinomial logit regression model was used to evaluate adoption drivers, anchoring plot-level variables to the primary production parcel to control for land fragmentation. Empirical results indicate that education, farming experience, household income, steep slope gradients, erosion history, social participation, sex, and access to extension significantly increase uptake. Conversely, access to off-farm income significantly reduces the adoption of individual structural practices, highlighting a critical trade-off driven by household labor constraints. To improve uptake, policymakers should strengthen farmer-extension linkages, expand rural credit, and pair income diversification programs with labor saving agronomic tools to support vulnerable hillside farming systems.