Water quantity management in a heterogeneous landscape with strategic farmers
Résumé
Agricultural production contributes to many environmental problems. In semi-arid areas, agricultural irrigation causes the so-called waterlogging phenomenon. This phenomenon is both spatial and dynamic since percolations depends on soil quality summed up in landscape heterogeneity and evolves along time. Furthermore, farmers can develop strategies with respect to their contribution to percolation. We study regulation schemes to be implemented to restore the socially optimal spatial and temporal production plan of farmers in such a context. We show that both a temporal tax on percolation and a spatio-temporal tax on inputs (both at the extensive and at the intensive margin) are efficient for the restoration of the socially optimal solution. Furthermore, the error made when implementing a fiscal scheme designed for myopic farmers whereas they are strategic does not always increase with the degree of heterogeneity of the landscape