Irrigation and the spatial pattern of local economic development in India

David Blakeslee; Aaditya Dar; Ram Fishman; Samreen Malik; Heitor S. Pellegrina; Karan Singh Bagavathinathan

doi:10.1016/j.jdeveco.2022.102997

Irrigation and the spatial pattern of local economic development in India

David Blakeslee, Aaditya Dar, Ram Fishman, Samreen Malik, Heitor S. Pellegrina, Karan Singh Bagavathinathan

Economics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We study the long-term impact of large-scale irrigation infrastructure on the composition of local economic activity in India. Our analysis uses high-resolution spatial data covering approximately 150,000 villages and towns and exploits spatial discontinuities in the coverage of irrigation projects. Irrigation increases agricultural output, wealth, and population density in rural villages. However, in towns it reduces population and nightlight density, the size of the non-agricultural sector, and large-firm activity. These results highlight the heterogeneous impacts that agricultural productivity gains can have on the patterns local economic development.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	102997
Journal	Journal of Development Economics
Volume	161
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2022.102997
State	Published - Mar 2023

Keywords

Development
Irrigation
Urbanization

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Development
Economics and Econometrics

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10.1016/j.jdeveco.2022.102997

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title = "Irrigation and the spatial pattern of local economic development in India",

abstract = "We study the long-term impact of large-scale irrigation infrastructure on the composition of local economic activity in India. Our analysis uses high-resolution spatial data covering approximately 150,000 villages and towns and exploits spatial discontinuities in the coverage of irrigation projects. Irrigation increases agricultural output, wealth, and population density in rural villages. However, in towns it reduces population and nightlight density, the size of the non-agricultural sector, and large-firm activity. These results highlight the heterogeneous impacts that agricultural productivity gains can have on the patterns local economic development.",

keywords = "Development, Irrigation, Urbanization",

author = "David Blakeslee and Aaditya Dar and Ram Fishman and Samreen Malik and Pellegrina, {Heitor S.} and Bagavathinathan, {Karan Singh}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jdeveco.2022.102997",

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AU - Blakeslee, David

AU - Dar, Aaditya

AU - Fishman, Ram

AU - Malik, Samreen

AU - Pellegrina, Heitor S.

AU - Bagavathinathan, Karan Singh

PY - 2023/3

Y1 - 2023/3

N2 - We study the long-term impact of large-scale irrigation infrastructure on the composition of local economic activity in India. Our analysis uses high-resolution spatial data covering approximately 150,000 villages and towns and exploits spatial discontinuities in the coverage of irrigation projects. Irrigation increases agricultural output, wealth, and population density in rural villages. However, in towns it reduces population and nightlight density, the size of the non-agricultural sector, and large-firm activity. These results highlight the heterogeneous impacts that agricultural productivity gains can have on the patterns local economic development.

AB - We study the long-term impact of large-scale irrigation infrastructure on the composition of local economic activity in India. Our analysis uses high-resolution spatial data covering approximately 150,000 villages and towns and exploits spatial discontinuities in the coverage of irrigation projects. Irrigation increases agricultural output, wealth, and population density in rural villages. However, in towns it reduces population and nightlight density, the size of the non-agricultural sector, and large-firm activity. These results highlight the heterogeneous impacts that agricultural productivity gains can have on the patterns local economic development.

KW - Development

KW - Irrigation

KW - Urbanization

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VL - 161

JO - Journal of Development Economics

JF - Journal of Development Economics

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ER -

Irrigation and the spatial pattern of local economic development in India

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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