Rural transformation in the upper Citarum watershed and its implication to soil conservation practices

Abstract

In response to soil and environmental problems in the Citarum river of West Java, the upper Citarum watershed has focused on government policy intervention. The policy framework primarily focuses on encouraging soil conservation practices and promoting an environmentally friendly farming system. However, most empirical research on this subject failed to acknowledge that the conservation practices varied with the stage of rural transformation. This paper aims to assess rural transformation in the upper Citarum watershed and its relation to soil conservation practices. We use Indogreen Farm Household Survey (IFHS) data collected in 2019 from Bandung and West Bandung districts, covering six sub-watersheds, 22 villages, and 500 farm households. The sub-watersheds are divided into two groups based on the degree of rural transformation. Descriptive analysis using graphs and charts presented the data. The results show that the more dominant non-agriculture job characterizes household employment and income structure in the faster regions. Furthermore, farmers in these regions mostly choose higher-value commodities compared to the slower area. Finally, soil conservation practice is more intensive in the faster region in response to more intensive land utilization. The research implies that agricultural development programs, in particular extension services, should put this issue in perspective.