Market-based versus collective self-governance in irrigation systems: Differential effects on infrastructure...

Effective governance of irrigation systems is critical for agricultural productivity and rural development. While existing studies compare market-based governance and collective self-governance, limited consensus exists on the mechanisms and contextual conditions through which each mode influences irrigation infrastructure condition. Drawing on household survey data from well-irrigated systems in the North China Plain and applying the institutional analysis and development framework, this study employs an endogenous switching regression model to systematically assess how governance modes shape infrastructure condition. Results show that market-based governance significantly outperforms collective self-governance, with stronger effects observed for farmers with smaller farm size and lower land fragmentation. Mechanism analysis reveals that market-based governance improves infrastructure condition by increasing farmers' contributions to maintenance and reducing water-related conflicts. Moreover, group size moderates these effects: market-based governance performs better when groups consist of more than 11 households, while no significant difference emerges below this threshold. These findings advance understanding of institutional arrangements in common-pool resource governance and provide context-sensitive insights for irrigation policy and reform.