The mediated effects of urban proximity on collective action in the commons: Theory and evidence from China

Villages closer to urban centers often have higher economic growth, better agricultural conditions and better welfare outcomes. However, few studies have linked villages’ proximity to urban centers with governance of the commons. In this paper, we explore the effects of urban proximity on the irrigation commons using ordered probit models, stepwise regression and the Sobel-Goodman mediation test, with survey data from 1257 villages in 306 counties and 27 provinces across China. We find that villages’ proximity to provincial economic centers has a direct and positive effect on collective action in the irrigation commons, which could be attributed to farmers’ incentives for agricultural intensification. Agriculture in villages closer to market centers is more commercially oriented, which gives farmers incentives to participate in collective action to reap the benefits of maintaining the irrigation commons. We also find that proximity between the village and the provincial economic center increases irrigation collective action through the mediated effects of village topography, population and collective income. The results enrich the literature of commons study and imply that distance to the economic center should be considered in policy making for rural revitalization and implementation of the New Urban Agenda as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.