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Public Provision and Protection of Natural Resources: Groundwater Irrigation in Rural India

Author

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  • Sheetal Sekhri

Abstract

This paper evaluates the effects of a public groundwater provision program on water tables in Northern India. I theorize that public provision leads to sustainable use of groundwater when the fixed costs for private well provision are high. I use village-level longitudinal data on aquifers and wells, and exploit the physical and technological limitations of surface pumps that generate a cost difference at a specific water depth to test this model. My findings suggest that public provision can be used as an alternative in scenarios where prohibitive monitoring costs might preclude the use of other regulatory approaches to prevent over-extraction. (JEL O13, O18, Q15, Q25, Q28, Q53, Q58)

Suggested Citation

  • Sheetal Sekhri, 2011. "Public Provision and Protection of Natural Resources: Groundwater Irrigation in Rural India," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(4), pages 29-55, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:3:y:2011:i:4:p:29-55
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/app.3.4.29
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Pranab Bardhan, 2009. "State-Led or Market-Led Green Revolution? Role of Private Irrigation Investment vis-a-vis Local Government Programs in West Bengal’s Farm Productivity Growth," Working Papers id:2209, eSocialSciences.
    2. Sheetal Sekhri, 2013. "Missing Water: Agricultural Stress and Adaptation Strategies in Response to Groundwater Depletion in India," Virginia Economics Online Papers 406, University of Virginia, Department of Economics.
    3. Vasilaky, Kathryn & Harou, Aurélie & Alfredo, Katherine & Kapur, Ishita, 2023. "What works for water conservation? Evidence from a field experiment in India," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    4. Ghadir Asadi & Mohammad H. Mostafavi-Dehzooei, 2022. "The Role of Learning in Adaptation to Technology: The Case of Groundwater Extraction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-37, June.
    5. Michael Greenstone & B. Kelsey Jack, 2013. "Envirodevonomics: A Research Agenda for a Young Field," NBER Working Papers 19426, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Shreyasee Das, 2012. "State Rights over Water and Agricultural Productivity: Evidence from the Krishna Basin," Working Papers 12-03, UW-Whitewater, Department of Economics.
    7. Richard Hornbeck & Pinar Keskin, 2011. "The Evolving Impact of the Ogallala Aquifer: Agricultural Adaptation to Groundwater and Climate," NBER Working Papers 17625, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Debaere, Peter & Li, Tianshu, 2017. "The Effects of Water Markets: Evidence from the Rio Grande," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 259187, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Buisson, Marie-Charlotte & Balasubramanya, Soumya & Stifel, David C., 2020. "Effects of electric pumps on farm-level agricultural production and groundwater use in West Bengal," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304212, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    10. Sayre, Susan Stratton & Taraz, Vis, 2019. "Groundwater depletion in India: Social losses from costly well deepening," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 85-100.
    11. Zaveri, Esha D. & Wrenn, Douglas H. & Fisher-Vanden, Karen, 2020. "The impact of water access on short-term migration in rural India," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 64(2), April.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • Q15 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment
    • Q25 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Water
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy

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