Managing Water As An Economic Resource

Water, already a scarce resource, is treated as though it were plentiful and free. The task of supplying enough water of the required quality to growing populations is straining authorities and governments to the limit as the economic and environmental costs of new supply sources escalate and wasteful supply, delivery and consumption systems persist. Managing Water as an Economic Resource argues that the root of the crisis is the failure of suppliers and consumers to treat water as a scarce commodity with an economic value. James Winpenny evaluates policies for the improved management of existing demand, and draws on case studies from different countries as he discusses how policies could be implemented to treat water as an economic good conferring major economic, financial and environmental benefits.

This textbook is written for first-year graduate students and senior level undergraduates in economics. . . Graduate students in geography, water resources, and environmental management should also be interested. The well done helpful diagrams and charts are those expected for a textbook in economics at this level. In every chapter many interesting real world examples illustrate the concept being discussed. Some chapters have easy to read case studies set off from the text. Every chapter has an excellent bibliography. I plan on keeping this excellent book as a shelf reference and would willingly adopt it for a class in Water Resource Economics. Donald E. Agthe, Journal of the American Water Resources Association This is a much-needed book, which introduces the interested reader to the economics of water resource allocation, and analyzes relevant policy issues derived from all over the world. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first book which is focused on communicating the basic economic concepts that govern water resources allocation. . . The lively writing style of W. Douglass Shaw, which is enriched with excellent examples and case studies from various countries, makes this book an obvious choice for a textbook in relevant courses. . . this excellent book should be a compulsory reading for all of us who work in the field of water resources management. Phoebe Koundouri, Ecological Economics A state-of-the-art and comprehensive review of water resource economics policy issues and research methods needed to address those issues. It can double as a text for classes in water economics as well as a source for researchers who need a state-of-the-art review of the literature. Frank A. Ward, New Mexico State University, US For years, I ve taught water economics and policy by piecing together readings from dozens of texts and articles. Now, I finally have one text that provides comprehensive coverage of water economics at a level both accessible to senior undergraduates while still sufficiently rigorous for graduate students. I cannot wait to use this text in my classes! Eric Schuck, Colorado State University, US W. Douglass Shaw s Water Resource Economics and Policy is a valuable and timely contribution. Those new to the subject of water resource economics will find a treatment that is both comprehensive and readable, suitable for undergraduate and selected graduate level classes. The book amply demonstrates the application of basic microeconomic principles to water issues and provides valuable in-depth discussion of water quality, and of urban, agricultural, environmental and recreational water use. The economics of risk and uncertainty are clearly presented in the context of drought, flood control and water supply and demand. These are key themes in this field that can be difficult to communicate to undergraduates. This text will be invaluable in teaching water resource economics. Bonnie Colby, University of Arizona, US Douglass Shaw s Water Resource Economics and Policy is a timely and useful offering, filling an important void in MS and post bac texts. The beginning chapters provide background in legal and economic theory considerations. Each is followed up in the book with specific regulatory and institutional examples as well as citations and explanations of empirical work in water resources economics. Topics in agricultural and residential water use, as well as reservoir impoundments and trans-boundary water issues, yield useful concepts for a wide range of students. The text serves as a very essential framework with which supplementary readings can be added. The organization of the book is sensible; it provides a means by which a greater body of materials may be arranged. The course I currently teach contains students from a diverse set of academic fields. The text materials are eminently accessible for all of these students. I highly recommend this to be an indispensable source book for water resource e

This book demonstrates the effectiveness of comprehensive water policies, using examples from around the world.

This book focuses on the questions of how best to manage water resources in the face of growing demand. It explores various water management problems encountered by developing countries, with an emphasis on institutional and human factors that affect economic growth.

This open access textbook provides a concise introduction to economic approaches and mathematical methods for the study of water allocation and distribution problems. Written in an accessible and straightforward style, it discusses and analyzes central issues in integrated water resource management, water tariffs, water markets, and transboundary water management. By illustrating the interplay between the hydrological cycle and the rules and institutions that govern today’s water allocation policies, the authors develop a modern perspective on water management. Moreover, the book presents an in-depth assessment of the political and ethical dimensions of water management and its institutional embeddedness, by discussing distribution issues and issues of the enforceability of human rights in managing water resources. Given its scope, the book will appeal to advanced undergraduate and graduate students of economics and engineering, as well as practitioners in the water sector, seeking a deeper understanding of economic approaches to the study of water management.

Global change possesses serious challenges for water managers and scientists. In mountain areas, where water supplies for half of the world population originate, climate and hydrologic models are still subject to considerable uncertainty. And yet, critical decisions have to be taken to ensure adequate and safe water supplies to billions of people, millions of farmers and industries, without further deteriorating rivers and water bodies. While global warming is known to cause glaciers’ retreat and reduced snow packs around the world, it is not clear that mountain discharge will be lower. What is widely recognised is that water management must be adapted to accommodate significant regime changes. However, this inevitably involves managing transboundary rivers, adding further complexity to putting principles in practice. This book takes global warming and the importance of mountain areas in world water resources as the starting point. First, it provides detailed reviews of the processes going on in several rivers systems and world regions in Europe (Rhône and Ebro), North America (Canadian Rockies, Western US and Mexico), the Middle East (Jordan), Africa (Tunisia, Kenya and South Africa). These contexts provide case studies and examples that show the difficulties and potential for adaptation to global change. Land-use, economics, numerous modeling approaches are some of the cross-cutting issues covered in the chapters. The volume also includes the views of water practitioners, with two chapters authored by members of the US-Canada International Joint Commission, an industrialist from Western Canada and an environmental leader in Spain. By combining a rich set of contexts and approaches, the volume succeeds in offering a view of the global challenges faced by water agencies, international donors and researchers around the world. A case is made in some chapters to seek adaptive strategies rather than trying to reduce or control resources variability. This requires factoring in land-use, social and economic aspects, especially in developing countries. Another conclusion is that complex problems can and must be posed and negotiated with the help of models, mapping techniques and science-based facts. However complex these may be, there are ways to translate them to easily interpretable and visualisations of alternative scenarios and courses of action. This book provides numerous examples of the potential of such approaches to draft environmental programmes solve transboundary disputes and reduce the economic consequences of droughts and climate instability.

Water scarcity, whether in the quality or quantity dimension, afflicts most countries. Decisions on water management and allocation over time, space, and among uses and users involve economic considerations. This Handbook assembles research that represents recent thinking and applications in water economics. The book chapters are written by leading scholars in the field who address issues related to its use, management, and value. The topics cover analytical methods, sectoral and intersectoral water issues, and issues associated with different sources of water.