The Pathways to increase farmers' agricultural operating income by improving irrigation water accessibility amid climate change

Against the backdrop of global climate change, improving irrigation water accessibility (IWA) in arid highland regions has become an essential prerequisite for boosting the income and fostering prosperity among remote and economically disadvantaged farmers.This study primarily examines the impact of irrigation water accessibility on farmers' agricultural operating income (FAOI) and elucidates the underlying mechanisms through which this impact unfolds, utilizing survey data gathered from farmers in representative arid highland regions for empirical analysis.The results indicate that: Firstly, enhancing IWA significantly contributes to increasing FAOI, with a more pronounced effect on income growth in crop farming than in Livestock farming. Concurrently, improved IWA generates spillover and normative effects that drive income growth by elevating agricultural production efficiency and grain yield per unit area, as well as motivating farmers to adopt climate change adaptation strategies encompassing soil management, water resource management, farm management, and crop management. Secondly, transportation accessibility plays a moderating role in the relationship between IWA and FAOI, highway and high-speed rail accessibility exhibit a negative moderating effect, whereas township and county accessibility demonstrate a U-shaped moderating effect. Thirdly, improved IWA has effectively promoted FAOI with low fragmentation, high agricultural dependency.The findings hold significant practical implications for relatively underdeveloped regions in developing countries, advocating for targeted promotion of farmland water conservancy facilities and transportation infrastructure construction based on local conditions. • Improved IWA significantly boosts FAOI. • Improved IWA generates spillover and normative effects that drive FAOI growth. • Transportation accessibility plays a moderating role in the relationship between IWA and FAOI. • Improved IWA has effectively promoted FAOI withlow fragmentation, high agricultural dependency. • Advocating for targeted promotion of farmland water conservancy facilities and transportation infrastructure construction.