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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Does Engagement Improve Groundwater Management?, Felipe De Figueiredo Silva, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Mark E. Burbach
Does Engagement Improve Groundwater Management?, Felipe De Figueiredo Silva, Richard K. Perrin, Lilyan E. Fulginiti, Mark E. Burbach
Department of Agricultural Economics: Faculty Publications
Groundwater use often has external effects on both the environment and future groundwater benefits, leading to over withdrawal. Ostrom’s research on common property resources (CPR) and related literature indicates that CPR management may improve if users have more information about the groundwater system, more opportunities for communication, and empowerment to regulate. In this paper, we conduct a computer laboratory experiment involving 180 students to evaluate the role of these components of engagement in reducing irrigation withdrawals from an aquifer. Our treatments, which consisted of different levels of information, communication and empowerment, resulted in decreases in groundwater extraction and increases in …