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Estimating the causal effect of water scarcity on the groundwater use efficiency of rice farming in South India

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  • Varghese, Shalet Korattukudy
  • Veettil, Prakashan Chellattan
  • Speelman, Stijn
  • Buysse, Jeroen
  • Van Huylenbroeck, Guido

Abstract

There is no consensus among researchers on the influence of scarcity on common pool resource use: some suggest that scarcity leads to prudent use, whereas others suggest that it will cause over-extraction of resources. This issue is particularly of interest for developing countries, where natural resources are becoming scarce at an alarming rate. This paper investigates the causal association between water scarcity and groundwater use efficiency in a rice based cropping system in south India, where groundwater is increasingly becoming a scarce resource. Contextualization of the work is done under the premise of reported contradictions concerning the scarcity — efficiency nexus. Using a two stage approach the causality is estimated: first, farm level groundwater use efficiency (GWUE) scores are calculated using non-parametric efficiency analysis, and then these inefficiencies are linked to farm level scarcity indicators using the Inverse Probability Weighting method. Our results showed a negative causal association between farm level water scarcity and GWUE, indicating the existence of competitive appropriation behavior in the face of scarcity. Hence, policy measures to conserve groundwater should include supply enhancement to remove the threat of immediate scarcity on farm to avoid inefficient pumping in addition to demand management measures and improved governance.

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  • Varghese, Shalet Korattukudy & Veettil, Prakashan Chellattan & Speelman, Stijn & Buysse, Jeroen & Van Huylenbroeck, Guido, 2013. "Estimating the causal effect of water scarcity on the groundwater use efficiency of rice farming in South India," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 55-64.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:86:y:2013:i:c:p:55-64
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2012.10.005
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    3. Sheetal Sekhri, 2013. "Missing Water: Agricultural Stress and Adaptation Strategies in Response to Groundwater Depletion in India," Virginia Economics Online Papers 406, University of Virginia, Department of Economics.
    4. Long, Kaisheng & Pijanowski, Bryan C., 2017. "Is there a relationship between water scarcity and water use efficiency in China? A national decadal assessment across spatial scales," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 502-511.
    5. Naser Valizadeh & Masoud Bijani & Enayat Abbasi, 2021. "Farmers’ participatory-based water conservation behaviors: evidence from Iran," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 4412-4432, March.
    6. Jayanath Ananda & Mohamed Aheeyar, 2020. "An evaluation of groundwater institutions in India: a property rights perspective," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 5731-5749, August.
    7. Watkins, K. Bradley & Henry, Chris G. & Hardke, Jarrod T. & Mane, Ranjitsinh U. & Mazzanti, Ralph & Baker, Ron, 2021. "Non-radial technical efficiency measurement of irrigation water relative to other inputs used in Arkansas rice production," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    8. Shuhong Wang & Ning Yin & Zhihai Yang, 2021. "Factors affecting sustained adoption of irrigation water-saving technologies in groundwater over-exploited areas in the North China Plain," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(7), pages 10528-10546, July.
    9. Xiang Ji & Jie Wu & Qingyuan Zhu & Jiasen Sun, 2019. "Using a hybrid heterogeneous DEA method to benchmark China’s sustainable urbanization: an empirical study," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 278(1), pages 281-335, July.
    10. Sheng, Jichuan & Qiu, Wenge, 2023. "Inter-basin water transfer policies and water-use technical efficiency: China's South-North Water Transfer Project," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    11. Min Li & Kaisheng Long, 2019. "Direct or Spillover Effect: The Impact of Pure Technical and Scale Efficiencies of Water Use on Water Scarcity in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-13, September.
    12. Prediger, Sebastian & Vollan, Björn & Herrmann, Benedikt, 2014. "Resource scarcity and antisocial behavior," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 1-9.
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