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Three-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis of Agricultural Water Use Efficiency: A Case Study of the Heihe River Basin

Author

Listed:
  • Guofeng Wang

    (Faculty of International Trade, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan 030060, China)

  • Nan Lin

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Xiaoxue Zhou

    (School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Zhihui Li

    (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

  • Xiangzheng Deng

    (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China)

Abstract

Aiming to inspect the water use-related situation in the Heihe River Basin, we used a three-stage data envelopment analysis to examine agricultural water use efficiency (WUE) and related issues in the Heihe River Basin from 2004 to 2012. This method calculates technical efficiency (TE), pure technical efficiency (PTE), and scale efficiency (SE). Results show that water use-related efficiency varies according to scale. TE and SE decreased in the study area, while PTE increased. This means that the effects of pure technology on improving overall technology are very limited, and scale adjustment is vitally important to the agricultural production area in the Heihe River Basin. The results provide recommendations for decision-makers to plan the efficient use of water resources in arid and semiarid areas; in addition, this method will contribute to calculations of water use-related efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Guofeng Wang & Nan Lin & Xiaoxue Zhou & Zhihui Li & Xiangzheng Deng, 2018. "Three-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis of Agricultural Water Use Efficiency: A Case Study of the Heihe River Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:2:p:568-:d:133066
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    Cited by:

    1. Jinyan Zhan & Fan Zhang & Zhihui Li & Yue Zhang & Wei Qi, 2020. "Evaluation of food security based on DEA method: a case study of Heihe River Basin," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 290(1), pages 697-706, July.
    2. Zhang, Fengtai & Xiao, Yuedong & Gao, Lei & Ma, Dalai & Su, Ruiqi & Yang, Qing, 2022. "How agricultural water use efficiency varies in China—A spatial-temporal analysis considering unexpected outputs," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    3. Marta García-Mollá & Rosa Puertas & Carles Sanchis-Ibor, 2021. "Application of Data Envelopment Analysis to Evaluate Investments in the Modernization of Collective Management Irrigation Systems in Valencia (Spain)," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(14), pages 5011-5027, November.
    4. Aizhi Yu & Entai Cai & Min Yang & Zhishan Li, 2022. "An Analysis of Water Use Efficiency of Staple Grain Productions in China: Based on the Crop Water Footprints at Provincial Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-23, May.
    5. Wei Wei & Zulqarnain Mushtaq & Amir Ikram & Muhammad Faisal & Zhang Wan-Li & Muhammad Irshad Ahmad, 2020. "Estimating the Economic Viability of Cotton Growers in Punjab Province, Pakistan," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(2), pages 21582440209, May.
    6. Qing Yang & Lingmei Fu & Xingxing Liu & Mengying Cheng, 2018. "Evaluating the Efficiency of Municipal Solid Waste Management in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-23, November.

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