Ethiopia has tremendous agricultural development potential. Despite the availability of abundant land and water resources, newly constructed Small-Scale Irrigation (SSI) schemes suffer from low output and abandonment, mainly due to excessive sedimentation. The latter increases the maintenance burden, drawing on users’ ability to mobilise labour or funds This study focuses on a multi-disciplinary approach to overcome the sedimentation related problems, by unearthing key factors which influence farmers’ willingness to maintain SSI schemes, and modelling an optimum operational plan for both case study schemes, which helps reduce sediment deposition.