Abstract:
The Socio-economic development of developing countries depends on the performance of the
agricultural and the contribution of this sector depends on how the natural resources are
managed. From this natural resource management, soil and water conservation are one which it
is important to control the loss of nutrients from agricultural land, to prevent pollution
of water bodies, to decrease rates of sedimentation in reservoirs, rivers, canals and
ditches and to limit crop. This study was conducted in two purposive selected rural villages on
the title practices, challenge and opportunities of soil and water conservation in Toke Kutaye
District. Majority of the studied in past were based on adoption of new introduced technology of
soil and water conservation but not taking account ingenious knowledge and perception on
practice. The main objective of this study was to assess practices, challenges and opportunities of
SWC in the study area. Descriptive research design and combined research approach
(quantitative and qualitative methods) were employed in conducting respondent and also employ
both probability and non-probability sampling techniques as sampling methods. Data were
collected from 144 rural farming household and using questionnaire, focus group discussion, key
informant interview and observation methods of data collections. The primary and secondary
data sources were used and analysis using through statistical package for social science and
summarize by descriptive statistics like chi-square and t-test, average, table, percentages. The
major types of soil and water conservation practices were agronomic conservations which
farmers more practices crop rotation in the study area. More physical and biological
conservation in this place were traditional water way and a forestation respectively. Vegetative
cover and good natural climate condition were existed environmental opportunities from the
other in the study area, but they did not effective used it. The overall conclusion from this study,
extension services and training were the most core problem in soil and water conservation
practices, solve challenges and using of exist opportunities. Therefore, the studied recommended
that such challenges and opportunities require coordinated and systematic planning wit
