Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia

Takele Mengesha Goshu; Getahun Nagari Nukuse; Tekle Leza Mega; Senapathy Marisennayya

doi:doi:10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11

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Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia

Takele Mengesha Goshu^*

, Getahun Nagari Nukuse, Tekle Leza Mega, Senapathy Marisennayya

Published in Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science (Volume 14, Issue 4)

Received: 26 March 2025 Accepted: 8 July 2025 Published: 4 August 2025

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Abstract

Irrigated agriculture plays a crucial role in enhancing domestic food security and alleviating poverty. However, many of the small-scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia are operating below their full potential. In several schemes, there is a noticeable gap between the designed potential and the actual area irrigated. This discrepancy is primarily due to poor management and a lack of regular maintenance. Furthermore, the absence of irrigation service fees, which would allow farmers to fund routine maintenance and ensure the sustainability of the irrigation schemes, has been a significant obstacle. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing household participation in small-scale irrigation schemes, the intensity of irrigation water use, and farmers’ willingness to pay for water use. It was conducted in the Arsi Zone, Tiyo District, focusing on the Bosha-01 small-scale irrigation scheme, with a sample of 150 households. The results of the two-limit Tobit model indicated that several factors significantly influenced participation and water use intensity, including the household’s education level, involvement in irrigation scheme planning, access to extension services, and the distance from the main road. Additionally, the study found that the mean willingness to pay (WTP) for irrigation water use was 155.33 Birr per 0.25 hectares per year. The censored regression model revealed that family size, income from crop production, and the household’s perception of water sufficiency significantly affected farmers’ WTP. The findings also highlighted that the irrigation scheme was underperforming, poorly managed, and lacked any system for charging users or requiring contributions for maintenance. Based on these results, the study recommends several policy measures, including strengthening institutional frameworks, coordinating actions among stakeholders, training farmers to encourage greater participation in scheme maintenance, developing social services, and improving farmers' incomes. These measures are essential to ensure the sustainable utilization of irrigation schemes.

Published in	Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science (Volume 14, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11
Page(s)	78-93
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Small-scale Irrigation, Household Participation, Willingness to Pay, Two-limit Tobit

References

[1]	MoWR (Ministry of Water Resources), 2002. Water Sector Development Program. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
[2]	FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), 1996. Guidelines for Planning Irrigation and Drainage Investment Projects. Technical Paper 11.
[3]	Desta Beyera, 2004. Impact of Community Managed Irrigation on Farm Production Efficiency and Household Income: The Case of Weliso and Wenchi Districts of Oromia. M. Sc. Thesis, Haramaya University, 107 p.
[4]	Tafesse Andarge, 2007. Socio-Economic and Institutional Determinants of Small-Scale Irrigation Schemes Utilization in Bale Zone, Oromia National Regional State. M. Sc. Thesis, Haramaya University, 140 p.
[5]	OIDA-CBO (Oromia Irrigation Development Authority - Central Branch Office), 2006. Annual Report. Adama, Oromia.
[6]	TDIDO (Tiyo District Irrigation Development Office), 2007. Annual Report. Asella, Tiyo District.
[7]	TDARDO (Tiyo District Agriculture and Rural Development Office), 2007. Annual Report. Asella, Tiyo District.
[8]	AZARDO (Arsi Zone Agriculture and Rural Development Office), 2007. Annual Report. Asella, Arsi Zone.
[9]	CSA (Central Statistical Agency), 2007. Summary Reports at Country and Regional Levels, based on the 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
[10]	TDAO (Tiyo District Administration Office), 2007. Annually Projected population. Asella, Tiyo District.
[11]	Tobin, J., 1958. Estimation of relationships for limited dependent variables. Econometrica, 26: 24-36.
[12]	Greene, W. H., 2000. Economic Analysis, 4th ed., Prentice Hall International, Inc.
[13]	Rosett, R. and Nelson, F., 1975. Estimation of the two-limit probit regression model. Econometrica, 43: 141-146.
[14]	Maddala, G. S., 1992. Introduction to Econometrics, 2nd ed., Macmillan Publishing Company, New York.
[15]	Long, S., 1997. Regression Models for Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables. Sage Publications.
[16]	McDonald, F. J. and Moffitt, A. R., 1980. The uses of Tobit analysis. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 62(2): 318-321.
[17]	Amemiya, T., 1985. Advanced Econometrics. T. J. Press, Padstow Ltd., Great Britain.
[18]	Johnston, J. and Dinardo, J., 1997. Econometric Methods, 4th ed., The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., New York.
[19]	Cameron, T. A. and James, M. D., 1994. Efficient estimation methods for closed-ended contingent valuation surveys. Review of Economics and Statistics, 69(2): 269-276.
[20]	Cameron, T. A., 1991. Interval estimates of non-market resource values from referendum contingent valuation surveys. Land Economics, 67: 413-421.

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Goshu, T. M., Nukuse, G. N., Mega, T. L., Marisennayya, S. (2025). Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia. Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science, 14(4), 78-93. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11

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ACS Style

Goshu, T. M.; Nukuse, G. N.; Mega, T. L.; Marisennayya, S. Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia. J. Water Resour. Ocean Sci. 2025, 14(4), 78-93. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11

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AMA Style

Goshu TM, Nukuse GN, Mega TL, Marisennayya S. Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia. J Water Resour Ocean Sci. 2025;14(4):78-93. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11

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@article{10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11,
  author = {Takele Mengesha Goshu and Getahun Nagari Nukuse and Tekle Leza Mega and Senapathy Marisennayya},
  title = {Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia
},
  journal = {Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science},
  volume = {14},
  number = {4},
  pages = {78-93},
  doi = {10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.wros.20251404.11},
  abstract = {Irrigated agriculture plays a crucial role in enhancing domestic food security and alleviating poverty. However, many of the small-scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia are operating below their full potential. In several schemes, there is a noticeable gap between the designed potential and the actual area irrigated. This discrepancy is primarily due to poor management and a lack of regular maintenance. Furthermore, the absence of irrigation service fees, which would allow farmers to fund routine maintenance and ensure the sustainability of the irrigation schemes, has been a significant obstacle. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing household participation in small-scale irrigation schemes, the intensity of irrigation water use, and farmers’ willingness to pay for water use. It was conducted in the Arsi Zone, Tiyo District, focusing on the Bosha-01 small-scale irrigation scheme, with a sample of 150 households. The results of the two-limit Tobit model indicated that several factors significantly influenced participation and water use intensity, including the household’s education level, involvement in irrigation scheme planning, access to extension services, and the distance from the main road. Additionally, the study found that the mean willingness to pay (WTP) for irrigation water use was 155.33 Birr per 0.25 hectares per year. The censored regression model revealed that family size, income from crop production, and the household’s perception of water sufficiency significantly affected farmers’ WTP. The findings also highlighted that the irrigation scheme was underperforming, poorly managed, and lacked any system for charging users or requiring contributions for maintenance. Based on these results, the study recommends several policy measures, including strengthening institutional frameworks, coordinating actions among stakeholders, training farmers to encourage greater participation in scheme maintenance, developing social services, and improving farmers' incomes. These measures are essential to ensure the sustainable utilization of irrigation schemes.},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia

AU  - Takele Mengesha Goshu
AU  - Getahun Nagari Nukuse
AU  - Tekle Leza Mega
AU  - Senapathy Marisennayya
Y1  - 2025/08/04
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11
T2  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
JF  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
JO  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
SP  - 78
EP  - 93
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7993
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11
AB  - Irrigated agriculture plays a crucial role in enhancing domestic food security and alleviating poverty. However, many of the small-scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia are operating below their full potential. In several schemes, there is a noticeable gap between the designed potential and the actual area irrigated. This discrepancy is primarily due to poor management and a lack of regular maintenance. Furthermore, the absence of irrigation service fees, which would allow farmers to fund routine maintenance and ensure the sustainability of the irrigation schemes, has been a significant obstacle. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing household participation in small-scale irrigation schemes, the intensity of irrigation water use, and farmers’ willingness to pay for water use. It was conducted in the Arsi Zone, Tiyo District, focusing on the Bosha-01 small-scale irrigation scheme, with a sample of 150 households. The results of the two-limit Tobit model indicated that several factors significantly influenced participation and water use intensity, including the household’s education level, involvement in irrigation scheme planning, access to extension services, and the distance from the main road. Additionally, the study found that the mean willingness to pay (WTP) for irrigation water use was 155.33 Birr per 0.25 hectares per year. The censored regression model revealed that family size, income from crop production, and the household’s perception of water sufficiency significantly affected farmers’ WTP. The findings also highlighted that the irrigation scheme was underperforming, poorly managed, and lacked any system for charging users or requiring contributions for maintenance. Based on these results, the study recommends several policy measures, including strengthening institutional frameworks, coordinating actions among stakeholders, training farmers to encourage greater participation in scheme maintenance, developing social services, and improving farmers' incomes. These measures are essential to ensure the sustainable utilization of irrigation schemes.
VL  - 14
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Takele Mengesha Goshu

Oromia Water and Energy Bureau, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0004-3312-4162
Getahun Nagari Nukuse

Oromia Water and Energy Bureau, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Contact Email
Tekle Leza Mega

Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia

Contact Email
Senapathy Marisennayya

Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Goshu, T. M., Nukuse, G. N., Mega, T. L., Marisennayya, S. (2025). Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia. Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science, 14(4), 78-93. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11

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ACS Style

Goshu, T. M.; Nukuse, G. N.; Mega, T. L.; Marisennayya, S. Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia. J. Water Resour. Ocean Sci. 2025, 14(4), 78-93. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11

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AMA Style

Goshu TM, Nukuse GN, Mega TL, Marisennayya S. Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia. J Water Resour Ocean Sci. 2025;14(4):78-93. doi: 10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11,
  author = {Takele Mengesha Goshu and Getahun Nagari Nukuse and Tekle Leza Mega and Senapathy Marisennayya},
  title = {Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia
},
  journal = {Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science},
  volume = {14},
  number = {4},
  pages = {78-93},
  doi = {10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.wros.20251404.11},
  abstract = {Irrigated agriculture plays a crucial role in enhancing domestic food security and alleviating poverty. However, many of the small-scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia are operating below their full potential. In several schemes, there is a noticeable gap between the designed potential and the actual area irrigated. This discrepancy is primarily due to poor management and a lack of regular maintenance. Furthermore, the absence of irrigation service fees, which would allow farmers to fund routine maintenance and ensure the sustainability of the irrigation schemes, has been a significant obstacle. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing household participation in small-scale irrigation schemes, the intensity of irrigation water use, and farmers’ willingness to pay for water use. It was conducted in the Arsi Zone, Tiyo District, focusing on the Bosha-01 small-scale irrigation scheme, with a sample of 150 households. The results of the two-limit Tobit model indicated that several factors significantly influenced participation and water use intensity, including the household’s education level, involvement in irrigation scheme planning, access to extension services, and the distance from the main road. Additionally, the study found that the mean willingness to pay (WTP) for irrigation water use was 155.33 Birr per 0.25 hectares per year. The censored regression model revealed that family size, income from crop production, and the household’s perception of water sufficiency significantly affected farmers’ WTP. The findings also highlighted that the irrigation scheme was underperforming, poorly managed, and lacked any system for charging users or requiring contributions for maintenance. Based on these results, the study recommends several policy measures, including strengthening institutional frameworks, coordinating actions among stakeholders, training farmers to encourage greater participation in scheme maintenance, developing social services, and improving farmers' incomes. These measures are essential to ensure the sustainable utilization of irrigation schemes.},
 year = {2025}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Small-scale Irrigation Scheme Utilization and Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Irrigation Water: The Case of Bosha-01 Irrigation Scheme in Central Oromia

AU  - Takele Mengesha Goshu
AU  - Getahun Nagari Nukuse
AU  - Tekle Leza Mega
AU  - Senapathy Marisennayya
Y1  - 2025/08/04
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11
T2  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
JF  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
JO  - Journal of Water Resources and Ocean Science
SP  - 78
EP  - 93
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7993
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.wros.20251404.11
AB  - Irrigated agriculture plays a crucial role in enhancing domestic food security and alleviating poverty. However, many of the small-scale irrigation schemes in Ethiopia are operating below their full potential. In several schemes, there is a noticeable gap between the designed potential and the actual area irrigated. This discrepancy is primarily due to poor management and a lack of regular maintenance. Furthermore, the absence of irrigation service fees, which would allow farmers to fund routine maintenance and ensure the sustainability of the irrigation schemes, has been a significant obstacle. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing household participation in small-scale irrigation schemes, the intensity of irrigation water use, and farmers’ willingness to pay for water use. It was conducted in the Arsi Zone, Tiyo District, focusing on the Bosha-01 small-scale irrigation scheme, with a sample of 150 households. The results of the two-limit Tobit model indicated that several factors significantly influenced participation and water use intensity, including the household’s education level, involvement in irrigation scheme planning, access to extension services, and the distance from the main road. Additionally, the study found that the mean willingness to pay (WTP) for irrigation water use was 155.33 Birr per 0.25 hectares per year. The censored regression model revealed that family size, income from crop production, and the household’s perception of water sufficiency significantly affected farmers’ WTP. The findings also highlighted that the irrigation scheme was underperforming, poorly managed, and lacked any system for charging users or requiring contributions for maintenance. Based on these results, the study recommends several policy measures, including strengthening institutional frameworks, coordinating actions among stakeholders, training farmers to encourage greater participation in scheme maintenance, developing social services, and improving farmers' incomes. These measures are essential to ensure the sustainable utilization of irrigation schemes.
VL  - 14
IS  - 4
ER  -

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