Beyond adoption: The need for a broad understanding of factors that influence irrigators’ decision-making
Kerri Whittenbury
Institute for Land Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona NSW; CRC for Irrigation Futures, Darling Heights QLD
Penelope Davidson
Environmental Sciences, Institute for Land Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona NSW; CRC for Irrigation Futures, Darling Heights QLD
PP: 4
Abstract
The conventional approach to encouraging water use efficiency among irrigators has been to promote the adoption of technology and tools designed to achieve water use efficiency. However, adoption rates of such technology are low.
Relatively little is known about what influences irrigators decisions in their day-to-day irrigation practices. The adoption literature focus is from the perspective of the providers of innovative technology with little information from the perspective of the intended users of the technology: growers.
Adoption decisions, although important, are only one aspect of farm decision-making. There is a need for research into irrigators' decision-making that broadens the focus from adoption per se to other sorts of irrigation/farm decisions including exploring the experiential and intuitive knowledge of growers and developing an understanding of personal, socio-cultural and structural factors that may influence decisions. This will assist in the development of water saving tools and initiatives that better meet irrigators' requirements.
Keywords
water use efficiency, adoption of irrigation technology, irrigators' decision-making
Article Text
Water use is of vital importance in Australia, historically a drought affected country. In recent years much of Australia has experienced extensive periods of drought. In the twentieth century natural catchments and river systems such as the Murray-Darling underwent transformation associated with damming for use in the irrigation of agricultural products and for the generation of hydro-electric power.
The current long-standing drought has led to significant water shortages resulting in severe water restrictions in most of eastern Australia including all capital cities. Many irrigators are entirely without irrigation water or are receiving substantially less water than their usual allocation. It is therefore critical that irrigators make the most effective use of the available irrigation water.
Governments are under increasing pressure from citizens to strive for environmentally beneficial and sustainable outcomes associated with water use. The irrigation sector has been widely criticised (Perry 2008) as it is perceived as using too much water through wasteful irrigation practices and for growing 'unsuitable' water intensive crops, in particular cotton and rice.
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