Impact of farmers' scarcity perception and overdrawn cognition on efficiency of groundwater irrigation: based on the survey data of 457 farmer households in groundwater overdraft area of Hebei Province

In recent years, with economic and social development, shortages in the surface water supply have led to a large-scale shift in groundwater exploitation and environmental problems caused by the overexploitation of groundwater. As the main water user, agricultural irrigation must reduce waste and improve efficiency. Based on the survey data of 457 farmer households in Hebei Province, this study used a stochastic frontier model to calculate irrigation water efficiency. We rebuilt the index system of water scarcity perception and groundwater overdraft cognition based on relevant research and empirically analyzed the effect of farmers' perceptions of scarcity and overexploitation on irrigation water efficiency while controlling for individual, family, and production characteristics. The results showed that the average irrigation water use efficiency of farmers was 0.59, the main distribution range was 0.40-0.80, with which farmer households accounting for 87.74% of the total. indicating there was a certain level of water waste (water use efficiency had a large scope for improvement). In scarcity perception, quantity perception, water level perception, and scarcity expectation had significant positive effects on irrigation water efficiency. In the cognition of groundwater overdraft, hazard cognition and environmental protection cognition promoted irrigation water efficiency. The number of farming years and education level were positively correlated with irrigation water efficiency. Transferred land had higher irrigation water efficiency than self-owned land. The fragmentation of cultivated land and the distance from irrigation facilities significantly reduced irrigation water efficiency. Based on the above conclusions, in this study, we recommend the following suggestions to improve agricultural irrigation efficiency in Hebei Province: conduct water situation education and improve the farmers' perception of water quantity and water level information. It is important to improve the dynamic monitoring mechanisms of water quantity and the water level, strengthen publicity and education on the current status of water shortages and future development, help farmers establish water-saving concepts. The publicity and education of groundwater environmental protection should be widely popularized, and the comprehensive cognition level of groundwater exploitation for farmers enhanced. Comprehensive measures for groundwater over mining should be widely publicized, and farmers should be mobilized to support and participate in the comprehensive treatment of groundwater over mining. Farmers should also consciously reduce waste and improve the efficiency of irrigation water.