How does village cadres' quality affect farmers' approach to domestic sewage treatment? Evidence from Jiangxi Province, China

Abstract

The clean transformation of domestic sewage treatment is essential for addressing the challenges of current rural environmental pollution. Village cadres, as rural leaders, play a crucial role in organizing and coordinating farmers' participation in improving sewage treatment. Although previous studies have highlighted the importance of domestic sewage treatment, research on how rural leaders' qualities influence farmers' sewage treatment practices remains significantly limited. To fill this gap and clarify the relationship between the qualities of village cadres and farmers' participation in domestic sewage treatment, this study focuses on analyzing whether improving the village cadres’ quality can lead to enhanced scientific treatment of rural domestic sewage by farmers. Through linear regression analysis of a sample of rural residents in Jiangxi Province, China, this study demonstrates that the improved quality of village cadres positively affects farmers' scientific treatment of domestic wastewater. The study also finds that farmers' trust in village cadres plays a significant role in aiding high-quality leaders to improve farmers' scientific wastewater treatment behaviors. Moreover, compared to farmers in villages without a representative village council system, those in villages with such a system are more likely to be influenced by high-quality village cadres, thereby improving their wastewater treatment practices. Based on these findings, this article offers practical implications for policymakers and researchers aiming to strengthen rural environmental governance and sustainable development efforts.