Do differences in the scale of irrigation projects generate different impacts on poverty and production?

Journal of Agricultural Economics

Volumn 62, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 474-492

  Dillon, Andrew ^a  

^a INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE   (United States)

Author keywords

Irrigation; Mali; Programme evaluation; Propensity score matching; Small and large scale impacts

Indexed keywords

AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS; AGRICULTURAL MARKET; AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION; ECONOMIC IMPACT; ESTIMATION METHOD; HOUSEHOLD INCOME; IRRIGATION SYSTEM; POVERTY; SAMPLING BIAS;

MALI;

EID: 79956288546     PISSN: 0021857X     EISSN: 14779552     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1477-9552.2010.00276.x     Document Type: Article

References (31)

1. Angrist, J. and Imbens, G. 'Comment on James J. Heckman, "Instrumental variables: A study of implicit behavioral assumptions used in making program evaluations"', The Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 34, (1999) pp. 823-827.
2. Attwood, D. W. Big is ugly? How largescale institutions prevent famines in western India', World Development, Vol. 33, (2005) pp. 2067-2083.
3. Bertrand, M., Duflo, E. and Mullainathan, S. How much should we trust differences-in-differences estimates?' Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 119, (2004) pp. 249-275.
4. Christiaensen, L. Mali Case Study: Methodology and Descriptives (Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute, 1998).
5. Couture, J.-L., Lavigne Delville, P. and Spinat, J.-B. Institutional Innovations and Water Management in Office du Niger (1910-1999): The Long Failure and New Success of a Big Irrigation Scheme, Working Paper 29 (Groupe de Recherche et d'Echanges Technologiques, Paris, 2002).
6. Deaton, A. 'Instruments, randomization, and learning about development', Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 48, (2010) pp. 424-455.
7. Deaton, A. and Zaidi, S. Guidelines for Constructing Consumption Aggregates for Welfare Analysis, LSMS Working Paper 135 (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2002).
8. Dehejia, R. Practical propensity score matching: A reply to Smith and Todd', Journal of Econometrics, Vol. 125, (2005) pp. 355-364.
9. Dehejia, R. and Wahba, S. Propensity score matching methods for nonexperimental causal studies', Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 84, (2002) pp. 151-161.
10. Diaz, J. J. and Handa, S. An assessment of propensity score matching as a nonexperimental impact estimator: Evidence from Mexico's PROGRESA program', Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 41, (2006) pp. 319-345.
11. Dillon, A. The Extension of the Zone Lacustre, Mali Data Set: Feasibility Study (Washington, DC: Report to the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Einaudi Center, 2005).
12. Dillon, A. Access to Irrigation and the Escape from Poverty: Evidence from Northern Mali, IFPRI Discussion Paper 782 (Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute, 2008).
13. Duflo, E. and Pande, R. Dams', Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 122, (2007) pp. 601-646.
14. Gilligan, D. O. and Hoddinott, J. Is there persistence in the impact of emergency food aid? Evidence on consumption, food security, and assets in rural Ethiopia', American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 89, (2007) pp. 225-242.
15. Heckman, J. J. Instrumental variables: A study of implicit behavioral assumptions used in making program evaluations', The Journal of Human Resources, Vol. 32, (1997) pp. 441-462.
16. Heckman, J. J. 'Building bridges between structural and program evaluation approaches to evaluating policy', Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 48, (2010) pp. 356-398.
17. Heckman, J. J., Ichimura, H. and Todd, P. Matching as an econometric evaluation estimator: Evidence from evaluating a job training program', Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 64, (1997) pp. 605-654.
18. Heckman, J. J., Ichimura, H., Smith, J. and Todd, P. Characterizing selection bias using experimental data', Econometrica, Vol. 66, (1998) pp. 1017-1098.
19. Hussain, I. Direct and indirect benefits and potential disbenefits of irrigation: Evidence and lessons', Irrigation and Drainage, Vol. 56, (2007a) pp. 179-194.
20. Hussain, I. Poverty reducing impacts of irrigation: Evidence and lessons', Irrigation and Drainage, Vol. 56, (2007b) pp. 147-164.
21. Imbens, G. Better LATE than nothing: Some comments on Deaton (2009) and Heckman and Urzua (2009)', Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 48, (2010) pp. 399-423.
22. Inocencio, A., Kikuchi, M., Tonosaki, M., Maruyama, A., Merrey, D., Sally, H. and de Jong, I. Costs and Performance of Irrigation Projects: A Comparison of Sub-Saharan Africa and Other Developing Regions, IWMI Research Report 109 (International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2007).
23. Jalan, J. and Ravallion, M. Estimating the benefit incidence of an antipoverty program by propensity score matching', Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, Vol. 21, (2003) pp. 19-30.
24. Lankford, B. A. Rural Infrastructure to Contribute to African Agricultural Development: The Case of Irrigation, Report for the Commission for Africa (Overseas Development Group, University of East Anglia, Norwich, 2005).
25. Lee, S. and Lemieux, T. 'Regression discontinuity designs in economics', Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 48, (2010) pp. 281-355.
26. Lipton, M., Litchfield, J. and Faurès, J. M. 'The effects of irrigation on poverty: A framework for analysis', Water Policy, Vol. 5, (2003) pp. 413-427.
27. Ravallion, M. and Chen, S. Hidden impact? Household saving in response to a poor-area development project', Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 89, (2005) pp. 2183-2204.
28. Rosegrant, M. W. and Perez, N. D. Water Resources Development in Africa: A Review and Synthesis of Issues, Potentials, and Strategies for the Future, Environment and Production Technology Division Discussion Paper 28 (International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, 1997).
29. Rosenbaum, P. R. Observational Studies, 2nd edn (New York: Springer, 2002).
30. Smith, J. and Todd, P. Does matching overcome LaLonde's critique of nonexperimental estimators?' Journal of Econometrics, Vol. 125, (2005) pp. 303-353.
31. World Bank. World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development, 2007. Available at: ; accessed 22 September 2010.