Adaptation of irrigated agriculture to adversity and variability under conditions of drought and likely climate change

Interaction between water institutions and social norms

Abstract

Agriculture is an important source of welfare in many developed and developing countries.
It is also the most vulnerable to climate change of all the other sectors in any economy. The
adaptation literature demonstrates how concerted adaptation strategies can minimize the
resulting negative impacts on rural households. Adaptation may include modification of existing
or developing new institutions and infrastructures to support the necessary adaptation options
and strategies. Institutions can be developed by the state or by the community. The community
faces a set of social norms under which it operates, that interact with new institutions and
affects it adaptability to changing conditions. This paper addresses the role of official institutions
and local social norms in adaptation of irrigated agriculture to adversity from changes in climatic
conditions. A simple analytical framework is developed to demonstrate the effectiveness
of several institutions along with the existing social norms and infrastructure, using conditions
of drought and flood, as representative cases of climate change. Evidence from exiting studies
is used to assess the role of institutions, social norms, and infrastructures in supporting various
adaptation strategies, including developing and adopting different agriculture and water
management technologies and other related adaptation strategies.