A Study On Farmer’s WTP In Management And Protection Of Small-scale Farmland Water Conservancy Facilities

Irrigation and water conservancy facilities, especially small-scale irrigation and waterconservancy facilities is closely related to the production and life of farmers, having a directimpact on agricultural production and farmers’ income, having far-reaching impact on China’sfood security issues and social stability. For the development of small-scale irrigation andwater conservancy facilities, the construction management is the key, efficiency isfundamental.a good project construction management and protection directly affects thefacilities’ effective work. The farmers are the main constructors of small-scale irrigation andwater conservancy facilities, is also the most direct beneficiaries. With reform of rural taxesand the cancellation of the obligated work of farmers, there was a sharp drop in the farmers’participation in small-scale irrigation and water conservancy facilities construction andmanagement and protection activities, the absence of the subject of small-scale irrigation andwater conservancy facilities management and protection, the inadequate investment ofmanagement and protection has seriously affected the facilities’ effective work, and it hasbecome a major factor restricting the development of China’s agricultural economy. How toattract farmers to participate in the protection of small-scale irrigation and water conservancyfacilities, improve the farmers participatory management mechanism, is urgent problems needto be addressed in the current and future period. Therefore, the strengthening of the study offarmers’ willingness to participate in the management and protection of small-scale irrigationand water conservancy facilities,has a certain theoretical and practical significance forimproving the operational efficiency of small-scale irrigation and water conservancy facilities.The Paper is guided by the theory of public goods and the theory of the behavior ofhouseholds, on the basis of the relevant literature, analyzes current management andprotection situation of chinese small-scale irrigation and water conservancy facilities, basedon micro-survey data of Nanyang City in Henan Province, with the statistical descriptionmethod, makes a statistical analysis about the willingness of farmers to participate in themanagement and protection of small-scale irrigation and water conservancy facilities from the perspective of farmers, and then builds econometric models, makes an empirical analysis ofthe willingness of farmers to participate in the management and protection of small-scaleirrigation and water conservancy facilities, Finally according to the statistical analysis andempirical results, makes policy recommendations to improve the management and protectionstatus of small-scale irrigation and water conservancy facilities.The main research conclusions are as follows:(1) China attachs great importance on theconstruction of small-scale irrigation facilities while regardless of the management andprotection.This has accelerated the loss rate of the facilities, led to a result that small-scaleirrigation and water conservancy facilities can not play its due benefits. The absence of thesubject of management and protection, the unclear responsibility, the inadequate investment,the low level of farmers involved in the management and protection are the main problems inthe current management and protection of small-scale irrigation and water conservancyfacilities.(2) At present, China’s small-scale irrigation and water conservancy facilities governancemodel are mainly three types: private governance model, centralized governance model andparticipatory governance model. These three models have their pros and cons, the scope ofgovernance suitable to small-scale irrigation and water conservancy facilities can not begeneralized. Through field research, it comes to the conclusion that private water conservancy,beneficiary households management system and WUA three small-scale irrigation and waterconservancy facilities management and protection model have rapid development and getsbetter success.(3) The statistical description of the willingness of Nanyang farmers involved insmall-scale irrigation and water conservancy facilities management and protection shows thatthe satisfaction of farmers on the situation of small-scale irrigation and water conservancyfacilities management and protection is low, the wishes of the farmers involved in small-scaleirrigation and water conservancy facilities management and protection are high.(4) The research indicates that there are several factors influncing the WTP of farmers.Education level, the main income source of the households, the local government’s supporthave positive significant influence on the farmers’ WTP, the farmers’ cognition of smallfarmland water conservancy facilities management and protection ways, the proportion ofnon-farm labors in total family labors, the well rate of the communities small-scale irrigationand water conservancy facilities have negative significant impact on farmers’ WTP. Farmers’gender, age, farmers’ attention in agricultural policy, farmers’ cultivated land area, theparticipation rates of the people around the farmers have no significant impact on farmers’WTP.