Abstract
A “Tame-ike” is a man-made irrigation-water pond for agricultural activities, and societies have recognized plural values of irrigation ponds as “commons” or to “secondary nature” to provide cultural and natural resources to regional communities. In this study, we conducted a questionnaire survey in Akashi, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, to examine differences in the valuations of irrigation ponds between farmers and non-farmers. We defined ‘agricultural value’ as the view that such ponds should be made available for agriculture, and ‘environmental value’ as the view that they should be used for conservation, education, and recreation. Using a social-psychological model, we also investigated how any differences would affect the behavioral intentions of the two groups in terms of conservation of the ponds. Our analyses revealed that non-farmers who participated in conservation activities valued irrigation ponds significantly more than those who did not participate in such activities. Covariance structure analyses indicated that both farmers and non-farmers recognized the multi-layered value of irrigation ponds (i.e., both agricultural and environmental values); however, the farmers’ behavioral intentions towards pond conservation were derived more from their agricultural value, while the non-farmers’ intentions were more dependent on their environmental value.
