Understanding the Effect of Agricultural Irrigation Infrastructure Failures on Cropland Abandonment in Rural China

Cheng Zhang, Jingshuai Chen, Li Xue and Qing Han

Review of Development Economics, 2026, vol. 30, issue 1, 588-602

Abstract: Emerging failures in agricultural irrigation infrastructure (AII) are further exacerbating cropland abandonment worldwide. However, the mechanisms and solutions to these challenges are not well understood. This study investigates the impact of AII failures on cropland abandonment and its underlying mechanisms in rural China. We further evaluate the effect and applicable conditions of typical maintenance patterns in addressing AII failures. Using the China Labor‐force Dynamic Survey from 2014 to 2018 and benchmark regression (IV‐based models), we find that AII failures increase the likelihood of farmer abandonment decisions (AD) by 7.4% (38.9%), raising abandonment percentage (AP) by 5.2% (22.3%). This effect is stronger in regions with plain, high community harmony and rice farming. We attribute this negative impact to the stunted growth of land rental and agricultural services markets due to AII failures. Encouragingly, both centralized and individual maintenances are effective in inhibiting AII failures. Villages with higher financial revenue and less rural labor are more suited to centralized maintenance, reducing AII failures by 70.9%. In contrast, individual maintenance is more effective and can reduce failures by 69%. The research clarifies the market mechanisms between AII failures and cropland abandonment and highlights the importance of sound AII to agricultural sustainable development.

Date: 2026
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