درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Groundwater is a vital resource for agriculture in arid regions which its over-extraction has led to significant challenges of declining water levels and increased scarcity. This study addresses the urgent need for sustainable groundwater management by employing an inclusive group decision-making approach involving diverse stakeholders, with a focus on farmers. Overlooking the participation of farmers in the decision-making approach led to ineffective policies. Utilizing Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods, specifically the fuzzy Shannon entropy and Fuzzy TOPSIS techniques, the research prioritizes strategies for reducing groundwater consumption in the Safi-Abad region of North Khorasan, Iran. Qualitative data from stakeholder interviews provided insights into the challenges and opportunities related to groundwater use, revealing two primary strategies: (i) transitioning to low water-demand crops; and (ii) adopting modern irrigation systems. These approaches not only promise significant reductions in water usage but also support sustainable agricultural practices. The findings highlighted the importance of stakeholder collaboration in implementing effective water management policies, ensuring responsible resource use, and securing long-term viability. This study served as a model for future research, advocating for mixed methods integrating qualitative and quantitative analyses to inform policy recommendations and improve water resource management.

Burundi, like other countries, invests in agricultural research and development. The adoption of the most productive varieties is one of the ways of increasing agricultural yields. Rice, because of its high productivity, is among the cereals which occupy an important place in the food security strategy in Burundi. This study aims to identify the effect of the adoption of this variety on the productivity of rice farmers. Using random sampling technique was used to select the respondents to fill the questionnaires, data were collected from 524 rice farmers spread across the five villages, namely Buringa, Murira, Nyeshanga, Ninga and Bwiza of the Gihanga commune in Bubanza, Burundi. The analysis of the determinants and the quasi-experimental method based on propensity score matching was used in the estimation of the results of the effect of adoption of the rutete variety on the productivity of rice farmers and estimate the results. The study found that the average rice yields for adopted and non-adopted farmers were respectively 9754 and 9912 kg/ha. Also, if non-adopting farmers decide to adopt the variety, their counterfactual rice yield would be 7931 kg/ha for adopters and for non-adopters reached 7927 kg/ha. The average effect of the treatment on the rice yield of the adopters was 1823 kg/ha and significant (p<0.01). The decision to adopt for non-adopting rice farmers could increase the average yield by 1984 kg/ha. The results imply the positive role of the adoption of the rutete rice variety on the performance of rice farmers in Gihanga. It is recommended that the government and research institutions involved in the agricultural sustainable development support rice farmers by increasing agricultural research innovation with the aim of increasing the yield of crops.