Irrigation Infrastructure and Vineyard Productivity: Evidence using Remote Sensing and Synthetic Difference-in-Differences in Argentina

Maja Schling, Magaly Saenz Somarriba, Carmine Paolo De Salvo and Rodrigo Ysaac Chang Huaita

No 14246, IDB Publications (Working Papers) from Inter-American Development Bank

Abstract: This paper evaluates the long-term impact of rehabilitated irrigation canals under Argentinas PROSAP III program on vineyard productivity in San Juan province. We combine 20 years of Landsat-derived NDVI data with survey data from 299 grape producers and apply a synthetic difference-in-differences (SDID) framework to estimate causal effects. Additional robustness checks include propensity score matching and inverse probability weighting. Results indicate that canal rehabilitation increased NDVI by 0.91%, equivalent to yield gains of approximately 144 kilograms per hectare, with peak impacts of 2.5% (386 kg per ha) five years post-intervention. The study highlights the productivity benefits of irrigation investments and demonstrates the value of remote sensing for large-scale agricultural impact evaluations. Findings offer policy-relevant insights for designing and monitoring rural infrastructure programs in water-scarce regions.

Keywords: Irrigation; Productivity; Remote Sensing; Impact Evaluation; Argentina (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 O22 Q12 Q15 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-08
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:idb:brikps:14246

DOI: 10.18235/0013676

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