The impact of sinkholes on crop choices in water-scarce regions

ABSTRACTIrrigation is crucial in enhancing agricultural productivity, which is vital for ensuring food security. However, overusing water for irrigation, often due to weak water resource management, leads to groundwater depletion and sinkhole formation. This problem is particularly salient in our research region in Turkey, a water-poor area where farmers intensively irrigate their crops despite limited precipitation and irrigation resources. The expansion of irrigated farmlands in this region has resulted in hundreds of sinkholes, posing serious threats to both the land and the livelihoods dependent on it. This study uses detailed micro-level datasets and panel data econometric techniques to estimate the impact of sinkhole occurrences on farmers’ decisions concerning crop cultivation. Our findings show that despite recurrent sinkhole incidents, farmers persist in their existing farming practices, showing a marked insensitivity to the escalating environmental consequences. This evidence underscores the urgent need for effective policy interventions to regulate water usage and promote more sustainable irrigation techniques.KEYWORDS: Sinkholecrop choiceenvironmental hazardJEL CLASSIFICATION: Q15Q24Q54 AcknowledgmentsWe are grateful to the data providers and their helpful personnel.Data availability statementsWe used various datasets in the paper, some of which are not publicly available. The Farmer Registry System, sinkhole, and electricity datasets were obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, AFAD, and MEDAS respectively, but can be obtained by contacting these institutions. On the other hand, the village borders, prices, and climate variables datasets are public.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.