Farmer-centered water governance: integrating behavioral and institutional perspectives on farmland water use efficiency

Xianghua Liu^1*Yang Li¹Yuze Wang²Zicheng Mao³Yingchao Li⁴Ke Li^3*Lihua Liu^5*

• ¹College of Economic and Management, Henan Agricultural University,, Zhengzhou, China
• ²University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School, Glasgow, United Kingdom
• ³Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
• ⁴College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University,, Zhengzhou, China
• ⁵Guangdong Second Normal University, Guangzhou, China

With increasing water scarcity and climatic uncertainty, enhancing farmland water use efficiency from a farmer-centered perspective has become a critical challenge for sustainable agriculture worldwide. To address this, the present study integrates bibliometric and case-based approaches to provide a comprehensive analysis of the intellectual evolution and empirical validation of farmer-centered WUE research. A total of 1,773 publications retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus databases (2000–2025) were analyzed using CiteSpace to visualize the structural, thematic, and collaborative evolution of the field. The results reveal a steady expansion in research output, with China, the United States, and India emerging as leading contributors. Thematic clustering and burst analysis indicate a conceptual transition from technology-driven irrigation efficiency toward behavioral and institutional integration, reflecting a paradigm shift toward participatory and adaptive water governance. To complement the bibliometric mapping, case-based validation was conducted across representative regions to interpret how institutional coordination, behavioral heterogeneity, and policy incentives jointly shape farmland WUE. Based on these findings, the study proposes an integrated institutional–behavioral–efficiency framework that links macro-level knowledge evolution with micro-level empirical insights. The results provide both theoretical guidance and practical implications for advancing farmer-oriented water governance and achieving sustainable agricultural transformation.