Fu. Linjiang Rattanakosin International College of Creative Entrepreneurship, Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin 96 Moo 3 Phutthamonthon Sai 5 Rd., Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhonpathom, 73170, Thailand.
Email: zeng.yizhou@rmutr.ac.th
Zeng. Yizhou Rattanakosin International College of Creative Entrepreneurship, Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin 96 Moo 3 Phutthamonthon Sai 5 Rd., Salaya, Phutthamonthon, Nakhonpathom, 73170, Thailand.
Email: zeng.yizhou@rmutr.ac.th

Abstract:

The issue of karst desertification in southwestern China represents a critical ecological challenge that impedes the sustainable development of the nation's economy. Despite its significance, there remains a paucity of research examining farmers' involvement in desertification control from a social psychology perspective. Drawing upon the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Norm Activation Theory (NAT), this study proposes a comprehensive model to investigate farmers' participation in anti-desertification efforts. Utilizing survey data from 348 participants, the study evaluates the efficacy of the proposed model. Findings indicate that the model is effective in elucidating farmers' engagement in desertification prevention, as influenced by environmental risk perception, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. Additionally, personal norms function as partial mediators, positively correlating with environmental risk perception and the normative theory concerning farmers' roles in combating desertification. Notably, the model designed for assessing farmers' participation improves the conceptual model's explanatory power by 12.4 percent. The theoretical framework, termed Responsible Action Theory, identifies personal norms and environmental risk perception as pivotal variables within the model. Consequently, government agencies involved in desertification prevention should emphasize moral norms and develop public education programs that convey ecological information pertinent to desertification processes.

Keywords:Farmers, Desertification Control, Theory of Planned Behaviour, Norm Activation Theory.