Exercise 2 • • Formulate research questions for each of the problem statements given below. Select for each problem statement the best research method (qualitative or quantitative). Problem statement 1: Groundwater management The use of groundwater resources by farmers in north China has increased over the last decades. In some regions excessive groundwater use has become a threat to the sustainable agricultural development and ecosystem. Falling groundwater tables increase the costs for groundwater pumping and keep the natural vegetation from reaching the groundwater. Some scholars argue that local communities have the ability to manage common pool resources and avoid depletion. Whether or not villages can manage resources in a sustainable way depends on the characteristics of the resource. When farmers use groundwater from aquifers with low storativity and high transmissivity their pumping can easily affect the water level of the aquifer. In north China some villages share the use of such aquifers, while other villages are single users of such aquifers. Theory on common pool resources suggests that competition amongst villages over one aquifer increases the rate of pumping. Based on Huang et al. 2013 Problem statement 2: Small irrigation reservoirs Small reservoirs are often an important source of irrigation for impoverished agricultural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore investments in small irrigation dams are seen as a useful contribution to agricultural development by states and donor agencies. However, many studies show that lapses in the planning of small dam rehabilitation programs often cause costs to rise and implementation to be delayed. Corrupt practices during the project planning, tendering and administration are held as one of the major obstacles to the sustainability of investments in small reservoir projects. Yet, there is still little empirical evidence on the ways corruption affects development projects. Based on Venot et al. 2011 Problem statement 3: Land property rights Secure property rights are viewed as an important element conductive to economic growth. Holders of property rights can enjoy the benefits from investments without being challenged by outsiders or state agents. In China rural land property rights have traditionally been insecure and threatened by increased pressure on land in peri-urban areas. In 2003 the rural land contracting law (RLCL) has been passed. The law requires compensation for farmers’ individual loss of land and strictly prescribes the conditions under which administrative land reallocation is feasible. It is expected that the RLCL has decreased the number of “illegal” land reallocations and increased the compensation received by those who had land expropriated. Based on Deininger and Jin 2009
