eprintid: 10215
rev_number: 10
eprint_status: archive
userid: 1305
dir: disk0/00/01/02/15
datestamp: 2017-10-17 04:10:04
lastmod: 2017-10-17 04:10:22
status_changed: 2017-10-17 04:10:04
type: conference_item
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Falk, T
creators_name: Shalander, K
creators_name: Srigiri, S
icrisatcreators_name: Falk, T
icrisatcreators_name: Shalander, K
icrisatcreators_name: Srigiri, S
affiliation: ICRISAT (Patancheru)
country: India
title: Experimental Exploration of Institutional Transition Options for Sustainable Management of Common Watershed Infrastructure in India
ispublished: pub
subjects: s2.14
subjects: s23
subjects: s29
divisions: CRPS4
full_text_status: public
pres_type: paper
keywords: Sustainable Management, Common Watershed Infrastructure, India
abstract: In the context of India, water is historically stored on the surface in small reservoirs
which also recharge shallow groundwater aquifers. There is a strong evidence that such
structures have the potential to achieve a wide range of societal goals. Nevertheless, despite
its obvious potentials, many communities fail to manage structures sustainably. In the
context of watershed projects the water infrastructure works well as long as there is external
facilitation but cooperation in maintenance often breaks down as soon as projects come to
an end.This experimental study helps to better understand cooperation patterns in Rajasthan
communities using and managing small village reservoirs. In addition, this study is intended
to create awareness amongst farmers for the cooperation challenge and encourage
discussions related to it. Experimental approaches have the potential to facilitate dialogue,
shared learning, collective decision making, and strengthening the adaptive management
capacity of local communities. We played framed public good experiments with 300 community 
leaders and other local stakeholders. We introduced communication and social information 
in terms of revealing the players’ decisions. The discussion was a critical element of our 
game as it allowed the players to start negotiations and propose rules. We further introduced 
institutional mechanisms as additional treatments. Our results suggest that participants were 
able to generate solutions that are substantially better than the predictions of standard 
economic theory even under private decision making without communication. Introducing information 
and revealing the individual behaviour increases investments significantly. Players who agree to 
rules but also those who propose a punishment invest higher amounts. Introducing the opportunity 
to sanction fellow players also increased investments even though those who were punished reduced their
contributions. The discussions showed that the players connected the game to their real life experiences.
They highlighted challenges but gave also examples where cooperation in the community is working well. 
The game sessions were a revelation for the community that led to a learning process.
date: 2017-09
date_type: published
event_title: Tropentag 2017 - Future Agriculture: Social-ecological transitions and bio-cultural shifts'
event_location: University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
event_dates: September 20-22, 2017
event_type: conference
refereed: TRUE
related_url_url: http://www.tropentag.de/2017/abstracts/links/Falk_qIqvh2JR.pdf
related_url_type: org
citation:   Falk, T and Shalander, K and Srigiri, S  (2017) Experimental Exploration of Institutional Transition Options for Sustainable Management of Common Watershed Infrastructure in India.  In: Tropentag 2017 - Future Agriculture: Social-ecological transitions and bio-cultural shifts', September 20-22, 2017, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.     
document_url: http://oar.icrisat.org/10215/1/Experimental%20Exploration%20of%20Institutional.pdf