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How Access to Irrigation Influences Poverty and Livelihoods:A Case Study from Sri Lanka

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  • Sellamuttu, Sonali Senaratna
  • Aida, Takeshi
  • Kasahara, Ryuji
  • Sawada, Yasuyuki
  • Wijerathna, Deeptha

Abstract

This study combines a livelihoods approach with a regression approach to quantify the effectiveness of irrigation infrastructure investment on improving people’s livelihood strategies. Using a unique dataset based on households in southern Sri Lanka, and a natural experimental setting, we estimate from a two stage income regression model to show that irrigation access has a positive effect on income through livelihood choices. We also show through qualitative approaches that factors not linked to irrigation infrastructure may contribute to changes in livelihood portfolios. In addition, we highlight factors that result in certain households being unable to move out of poverty despite access to the improved irrigation infrastructure.

Suggested Citation

  • Sellamuttu, Sonali Senaratna & Aida, Takeshi & Kasahara, Ryuji & Sawada, Yasuyuki & Wijerathna, Deeptha, 2013. "How Access to Irrigation Influences Poverty and Livelihoods:A Case Study from Sri Lanka," Working Papers 59, JICA Research Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:jic:wpaper:59
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    Cited by:

    1. Aravind Moorthy & Thomas Coen & Katie Naeve & Jeremy Brecher-Haimson & Sarah Hughes, "undated". "Evaluation of the Irrigation and Water Resource Management Project in Senegal: Design Report," Mathematica Policy Research Reports c9f29d5746b14250b145a2030, Mathematica Policy Research.
    2. Aida, Takeshi, 2015. "Spatial vs. Social Network Effects in Risk Sharing," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 210937, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Aoyagi, Keitaro & Sawada, Yasuyuki & Shoji, Masahiro, 2014. "Does Infrastructure Facilitate Social Capital Accumulation? Evidence from Natural and Artefactual Field Experiments in a Developing Country," Working Papers 65, JICA Research Institute.
    4. Aoyagi, Keitaro & Sawada, Yasuyuki & Shoji, Masahiro, 2022. "Irrigation infrastructure and trust: Evidence from natural and lab-in-the-field experiments in rural communities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    5. Benjamin T. Anang & Stefan Bäckman & Antonios Rezitis, 2017. "Production technology and technical efficiency: irrigated and rain-fed rice farms in northern Ghana," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 7(1), pages 95-113, April.
    6. Aida, Takeshi & Sawada, Yasuyuki, 2016. "Altruism or Exchange? Experimental Evidence on the Motives behind Private Transfers in Sri Lanka," Working Papers 132, JICA Research Institute.
    7. Bhattacharya, Rudrani & Sen Gupta, Abhijit & Sikdar, Satadru, 2020. "Building Infrastructure to Promote Inclusive Growth," Working Papers 20/321, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    8. Masahiro Shoji & Keitaro Aoyagi & Ryuji Kasahara & Yasuyuki Sawada, 2020. "Motives behind community participation: Evidence from natural and artefactual field experiments in Sri Lanka," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(5), pages 577-600, December.
    9. Gamel Abdul-Nasser Salifu, 2019. "The Political Economy Dynamics of Rural Household Income Diversification: A Review of the International Literature," Research in World Economy, Research in World Economy, Sciedu Press, vol. 10(3), pages 273-290, December.
    10. Manh Hung Do & Trung Thanh Nguyen, 2023. "Does irrigation development mitigate weather extremes’ impacts and reduce poverty? Evidence from rural Southeast Asia," TVSEP Working Papers wp-034, Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Institute of Development and Agricultural Economics, Project TVSEP.

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    Keywords

    irrigation ; poverty ; livelihoods;
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