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Performance of community-based water-saving technology under land fragmentation: evidence from groundwater overexploitation in the North China Plain
The current water shortage crisis has necessitated an increased focus on improving the irrigation efficiency in groundwater overdraft areas. Consequently, the Chinese government has supported small farmers in installing community-based water-saving technologies (WSTs) providing high irrigation efficiency. Based on the data collected from 620 households located in the groundwater overdraft area of Hebei, North China Plain, this study conducts a stochastic frontier analysis to measure farmers' irrigation water use efficiency (WUE) and analyzes the impact of land fragmentation and WST types on their WUE. The results show that the average WUE of groundwater irrigation is 0.606. The WUE between community-based and household-based WSTs differs based on the degree of land fragmentation. A high degree of land fragmentation restricts community-based WSTs from efficiently improving farmers' WUE, whereas household-based WSTs perform better and are easier to adopt. For high land fragmentation, the WUE of the community-based WST is 9.12% lower than that of the household-based WST. However, the WUE of the community-based WST is 12.55% higher than that of the household-based WST when the degree of land fragmentation is low. Therefore, the government should pay attention to small farmers' adaptability toward WST and promote community-based WSTs on a low degree of land fragmentation. HIGHLIGHTS This study calculated farmers’ irrigation water use efficiency (WUE) and analyzes the determinants of it.; This study constructs a comprehensive insight to explain the phenomenon that community-based (water-saving technology) did not perform well in improving WUE.; In addition to top-down financial support, more attention should be paid to the needs of small farmers and their actual agricultural production conditions.;
Performance of community-based water-saving technology under land fragmentation: evidence from groundwater overexploitation in the North China Plain
The current water shortage crisis has necessitated an increased focus on improving the irrigation efficiency in groundwater overdraft areas. Consequently, the Chinese government has supported small farmers in installing community-based water-saving technologies (WSTs) providing high irrigation efficiency. Based on the data collected from 620 households located in the groundwater overdraft area of Hebei, North China Plain, this study conducts a stochastic frontier analysis to measure farmers' irrigation water use efficiency (WUE) and analyzes the impact of land fragmentation and WST types on their WUE. The results show that the average WUE of groundwater irrigation is 0.606. The WUE between community-based and household-based WSTs differs based on the degree of land fragmentation. A high degree of land fragmentation restricts community-based WSTs from efficiently improving farmers' WUE, whereas household-based WSTs perform better and are easier to adopt. For high land fragmentation, the WUE of the community-based WST is 9.12% lower than that of the household-based WST. However, the WUE of the community-based WST is 12.55% higher than that of the household-based WST when the degree of land fragmentation is low. Therefore, the government should pay attention to small farmers' adaptability toward WST and promote community-based WSTs on a low degree of land fragmentation. HIGHLIGHTS This study calculated farmers’ irrigation water use efficiency (WUE) and analyzes the determinants of it.; This study constructs a comprehensive insight to explain the phenomenon that community-based (water-saving technology) did not perform well in improving WUE.; In addition to top-down financial support, more attention should be paid to the needs of small farmers and their actual agricultural production conditions.;
Performance of community-based water-saving technology under land fragmentation: evidence from groundwater overexploitation in the North China Plain
Hongxu Shi (author) / Ming Chang (author)
2021
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
Unknown
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