Exploring the Influence of Flood Exposure on Cooperativebehavior in a Common-Pool Resource Experiment: A Casestudy in Zambia

Abstract

In this study, we explore the disparities in cooperation behaviors between communal farmers affected by floods (referred to as flood victims) and those unaffected in Namwala district, in the Southern province of Zambia. Through a series of incentivized field experiments centered around a common pool resource system (CPR), we examine decision-making behaviors across various rounds of the game. Subjects navigate differences in resource availability conditions, along with the imperative to both coordinate and cooperate.Our findings reveal that, despite distinct behavioral patterns, flood victims exhibited higher levels of cooperativeness than the farmers who were not affected by the floods. They successfully maintained approximately 48.92\% of the communal grazing land in good condition, while unaffected farmers maintained only about 21\% of the grazing plots in good condition.Even after accounting for variations in resource availability, subjects from Kabulamwanda site (flood victims) consistently demonstrated more cooperative behaviors across various grazing conditions, leading to higher real-life payoffs compared to subjects from Nakamboma study sites who were not affected by the floods.

Keywords: CPR management, extraction, contribution, climate stress, Namwala district