Open AccessWater Scarcity, Mountain Deforestation and the Economic Value of Water in a Small-Scale Irrigation System: A Case Study in East Java, Indonesia
Author(s) -
Subhan Arif Budiman,
Mohammad Rondhi,
Ahmad Fatikhul Khasan,
Bagus Peratama,
Rokhani,
Anik Suwandari,
Julian Adam Ridjal,
_ Soemarno,
Sugeng Prijono,
Soedarto
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
quaestiones geographicae
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 2081-6383
pISSN - 2082-2103
DOI - 10.2478/quageo-2021-0015
Subject(s) - water scarcity , irrigation , deforestation (computer science) , rainwater harvesting , scarcity , contingent valuation , water resource management , environmental science , willingness to pay , water conservation , water resources , agricultural economics , revenue , business , geography , agriculture , economics , ecology , archaeology , computer science , microeconomics , programming language , biology , accounting
The purpose of this study was to identify the willingness of farmers to pay for small-scale irrigation (SSI) and its determinants. Additionally, this study analysed the physical water availability in the study area using 16 years’ (2004–2019) historical data of streamflow, rainfall and forest cover change. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data from 100 farmers. A contingent valuation method was employed to elicit farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for irrigation water. The results show that the average WTP of farmers is US$ 215.84/ha/year. It accounts for 20% of farm revenue and is almost 20 times the water fee in large-scale irrigation systems. The study area experienced significant deforestation in the last two decades suffering a decrease of 11.72% of forest cover. It decreases the amount of stored rainwater and decreases the streamflow causing water scarcity during the dry season. Farm size, farmer income, distance to a small dam and usage of water-pump are the significant determinants. The results indicate that water scarcity caused by poor infrastructure increases the economic value of water in a SSI system.