Distributive Preferences and Fair Water Sharing Among Farmers in India

Benjamin Ouvrard, Arnaud Reynaud and Murudaiah Sivamurthy
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Benjamin Ouvrard: Toulouse School of Economics, INRAE, University of Toulouse Capitole, Toulouse, France†Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL), INRAE, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
Arnaud Reynaud: Toulouse School of Economics, INRAE, University of Toulouse Capitole, Toulouse, France
Murudaiah Sivamurthy: ��Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, GKVK, Bangalore, India

Water Economics and Policy (WEP), 2025, vol. 11, issue 01, 1-35

Abstract: Using an experimental setting inspired by the empirical social choice literature, we analyze how Indian farmers define fair water allocation. We investigate the choices of 240 Indian farmers who — as a neutral third-party — are asked to make water allocation decisions in situations that differ, such as the agricultural area in which each farmer grows crops, the responsibilities of farmers in each agricultural area, and the nature of their water resource (lake versus river). Our findings highlight the impact of contextual variables: respondents tend to endorse equal water distribution when farmers have identical land sizes but lean toward proportional allocation when differences in land size exist. However, this inclination toward proportional allocation diminishes when discrepancies in land size result from farmers’ own decisions rather than external factors. Additionally, we uncover indications of a link between farmers’ inclinations toward pro-social behavior and their preference for proportional allocation.

Keywords: Fairness; equity; common pool resource; India; water sharing; agriculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D63 D70 D71 Q25 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1142/S2382624X24400058

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