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A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing Water Use Behaviour and the Efficiency of Agricultural Production in South Africa

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  • Heinrich C. Kotze

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa)

  • Mlibo S. M. A. Qotoyi

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa)

  • Yonas T. Bahta

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa)

  • Henry Jordaan

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa)

  • Markus A. Monteiro

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa)

Abstract

Water use behaviour and efficiency are essential topics regarding water scarcity. Water is a life-sustaining resource used for various activities within the three primary sectors: agricultural, industrial, and domestic. Increasing competition among these sectors could affect the availability and sustainability of water use. The higher demand for agricultural-related commodities emphasizes the efficient and productive use of water. Still, to achieve this, the behaviour of consumers regarding water use needs to be changed. This systematic review paper aims to highlight the factors affecting water use behaviour and efficiency for agricultural production in South Africa. It further aims to determine how agricultural producers change their behaviour to improve their water use efficiency. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria were used as a reporting framework and guidelines to identify the articles included in the review. The review only included articles focussing on agricultural water use behaviour and efficiency and articles written in English and excluded articles from web pages, blogs, magazines, etc. The databases used for the review were Google Scholar and Web of Science. The articles were reviewed by the five authors to avoid the risk of bias, along with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The final review included 30 peer-reviewed articles. A word frequency table was developed using the NVivo 14 software to conduct a thematic analysis for the review. The main factors which played a role in the water use behaviour and efficiency of farmers were (i) climate and adaptation strategies, (ii) policy and water pricing, and (iii) agricultural production and management. Each category elaborated on how water use could be improved and the different measures adopted to incorporate sustainable farm water use. This could be a guideline for farmers, stakeholders, and policymakers to improve and enhance water use behaviour and efficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly South Africa. This could ultimately assist in efficiently using the water while enhancing sustainability within the agricultural sector and attaining Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six, which is to increase water use efficiency. The limitation of this study was that it was only narrowed down to the geographical context of South Africa. This review was funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa (Project Number: C20222023-00798). This review was not registered.

Suggested Citation

  • Heinrich C. Kotze & Mlibo S. M. A. Qotoyi & Yonas T. Bahta & Henry Jordaan & Markus A. Monteiro, 2024. "A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing Water Use Behaviour and the Efficiency of Agricultural Production in South Africa," Resources, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-25, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:13:y:2024:i:7:p:94-:d:1427126
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sharma, Bharat & Molden, D. & Cook, Simon, 2015. "Water use efficiency in agriculture: measurement, current situation and trends," IWMI Books, Reports H046807, International Water Management Institute.
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    3. Pakmehr, Sedighe & Yazdanpanah, Masoud & Baradaran, Masoud, 2020. "How collective efficacy makes a difference in responses to water shortage due to climate change in southwest Iran," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    4. Speelman, Stijn & Buysse, Jeroen & Farolfi, Stefano & Frija, Aymen & D'Haese, Marijke & D'Haese, Luc, 2009. "Estimating the impacts of water pricing on smallholder irrigators in North West Province, South Africa," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(11), pages 1560-1566, November.
    5. Molden, David & Oweis, Theib & Steduto, Pasquale & Bindraban, Prem & Hanjra, Munir A. & Kijne, Jacob, 2010. "Improving agricultural water productivity: Between optimism and caution," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(4), pages 528-535, April.
    6. Zongho Kom & Nthaduleni S. Nethengwe & Sylvester Mpandeli & Hector Chikoore, 2023. "Indigenous knowledge indicators employed by farmers for adaptation to climate change in rural South Africa," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 66(13), pages 2778-2793, November.
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    1. Sharifzadeh, Maryam & Golabvand, Sanaz & Afereydouni, Maryam, 2024. "Sustainable water management in wheat farming: Insights from diverse water environments," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).

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