Sustainable Water Access and Willingness of Smallholder Irrigators to Pay for On-Farm Water Storage Systems in Tsavo Sub-Catchment, Kenya

On-farm surface water storage systems can supplement irrigation needs and relieve pressure on surface streams. Using choice experiments, this study assessed farmer’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for the different attributes of on-farm water storage systems: all year water availability for irrigation, reduction of water resource conflicts and improved water quality. Results show that if smallholder irrigators could be assured of all year water availability, they would be willing to pay US$ 1459.90 per household per hectare. Similarly, a reduction in water resource conflicts attracted a marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) of US$ 1470.20 per household, while improved water quality for domestic use and ecosystems had a MWTP of US$ 870.20. High preferences and WTP for these attributes suggest that policies geared towards addressing water resource conflicts and uncertainty of irrigation water supply need to incorporate on-farm surface water storage systems.