Community Perception on Sustainable Utilization of Kaduwela Wetland for Agriculture, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Wetlands serve as valuable natural infrastructure for agriculture for million years. Food security is a global issue of all nations in the world; especially the developing countries. Demand driven agricultural expansion encroaches natural habitats in urban and rural peripherals in developing countries. This study was conducted to investigate community perception towards upland crop cultivation during the dry season in urban Kaduwela wetland. A structured questionnaire was administered to the farmers to collect information. The results of the factor analysis revealed that concerns in agricultural supportive services, irrigation, marketing and technology as major risks and constraints. According to the results of the binary logistic regression; land extent {Odds Ratio (OR)=0.387}, knowledge on environment friendly farming practices (OR=0.070), knowledge on traditional farming practices (OR=14.696), farming experience of the household head (OR=1.126), and access to extension services by the farmers (OR=0.202) were recognized as positively influencing factors (p<0.05). Provision of regular and reliable extension service for choosing of a right crop and self-generating of quality planting materials could be recommended for sustainability of the upland agricultural system in urban Kaduwela wetland