15.6 Field-Level Efforts to Improve Agricultural Water Resources Management
337
15.6.1 Tube Well Ownership and Groundwater Trade
The tube well privatization is the most prominent institutional change that farmers
have encountered in groundwater management in northern China. Since the early
1980s, tube well ownership in northern China has shifted sharply, according to a
survey by the Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy at the Chinese Academy of
Sciences. In 1995, collective ownership accounted for 58% of tube wells in the
average groundwater-using community. However, collective ownership fell to only
30% of tube wells in 2004. In contrast, during the same period, the share of private
tube wells increased from 42 to 70%. The analysis also demonstrates that the private
ownership and use of tube wells has increased the efficiency of farming in rural
China. In particular, private management of tube wells has promoted the adjustment
of cropping patterns while having no adverse impact on crop yields.
After tube wells, groundwater trading has emerged as a method for many farming
families in rural China to gain access to resources. During the 1980s, groundwater
trades were almost non-existent in China; even by the mid-1990s, only a small proportion of communities (21%) engaged in groundwater trades. However, by 2004 tube
well operators in 44% of communities sold water. Across all communities, approximately 15% of private tube well owners sold water. At the same time, groundwater
trades have also improved the efficiency and equity of water use in northern China.
When farmers buy water from groundwater trades, they use less water than those
who have their own tube wells or who use collective wells (Wang et al. 2007).
15.6.2 Application of Water-Saving Technologies
Three sets of water-saving technologies are applied generally in China: traditional,
household-based, and community-based. Traditional techniques are based on agronomics, are highly divisible, and have been generally practiced by farmers. They
include border irrigation, furrow irrigation, and leveling technologies. Householdbased technologies are highly divisible too and require low fixed costs and little
collective action. Common household technologies include surface hoses, plastic
film, conservation tillage, and the planting of drought-resistant varieties of crop.
Lastly, community-based technologies not only require collective action for adoption
and maintenance but also have relatively high fixed costs: these include underground
plastic piping networks, sprinkler systems, and lined canals.
In northern China, the percentage of farmers using traditional technologies is fairly
high (approximately 52% in 2004), since these have been around for a long time. By
2004, about half had adopted some types of household-based water-saving technologies. In contrast, only 24% of farmers had adopted some types of community-based
water-saving technologies. Additionally, since the 1980s, the proportion of communities adopting household-based water-saving technologies has increased from 7 to
50% (Wang et al. 2007).
337
15.6.1 Tube Well Ownership and Groundwater Trade
The tube well privatization is the most prominent institutional change that farmers
have encountered in groundwater management in northern China. Since the early
1980s, tube well ownership in northern China has shifted sharply, according to a
survey by the Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy at the Chinese Academy of
Sciences. In 1995, collective ownership accounted for 58% of tube wells in the
average groundwater-using community. However, collective ownership fell to only
30% of tube wells in 2004. In contrast, during the same period, the share of private
tube wells increased from 42 to 70%. The analysis also demonstrates that the private
ownership and use of tube wells has increased the efficiency of farming in rural
China. In particular, private management of tube wells has promoted the adjustment
of cropping patterns while having no adverse impact on crop yields.
After tube wells, groundwater trading has emerged as a method for many farming
families in rural China to gain access to resources. During the 1980s, groundwater
trades were almost non-existent in China; even by the mid-1990s, only a small proportion of communities (21%) engaged in groundwater trades. However, by 2004 tube
well operators in 44% of communities sold water. Across all communities, approximately 15% of private tube well owners sold water. At the same time, groundwater
trades have also improved the efficiency and equity of water use in northern China.
When farmers buy water from groundwater trades, they use less water than those
who have their own tube wells or who use collective wells (Wang et al. 2007).
15.6.2 Application of Water-Saving Technologies
Three sets of water-saving technologies are applied generally in China: traditional,
household-based, and community-based. Traditional techniques are based on agronomics, are highly divisible, and have been generally practiced by farmers. They
include border irrigation, furrow irrigation, and leveling technologies. Householdbased technologies are highly divisible too and require low fixed costs and little
collective action. Common household technologies include surface hoses, plastic
film, conservation tillage, and the planting of drought-resistant varieties of crop.
Lastly, community-based technologies not only require collective action for adoption
and maintenance but also have relatively high fixed costs: these include underground
plastic piping networks, sprinkler systems, and lined canals.
In northern China, the percentage of farmers using traditional technologies is fairly
high (approximately 52% in 2004), since these have been around for a long time. By
2004, about half had adopted some types of household-based water-saving technologies. In contrast, only 24% of farmers had adopted some types of community-based
water-saving technologies. Additionally, since the 1980s, the proportion of communities adopting household-based water-saving technologies has increased from 7 to
50% (Wang et al. 2007).