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New directions in water resources management: The role of water pricing policies
Author(s) -
Iglesias Eva,
Blanco María
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2006wr005708
Subject(s) - water framework directive , water pricing , water resources , sustainability , environmental economics , agency (philosophy) , water conservation , business , revenue , water use , irrigation management , cropping , integrated water resources management , irrigation district , environmental resource management , european union , environmental science , irrigation , economics , agriculture , water quality , ecology , philosophy , accounting , epistemology , economic policy , biology
Water resources will face increasing competition and higher environmental concerns during this century. To meet these challenges, the new Water Framework Directive has drawn up an integrated framework and established the basic principles for a sustainable water policy in the European Union. The introduction of water prices reflecting the true cost of irrigation is one of its most innovative components. In this paper, a positive mathematical programming model is developed to assess the environmental and socio‐economic impacts of water pricing policies in Spanish irrigated lands. The model interface allows friendly use and easy replication in a large number of irrigation districts, selected throughout the Spanish territory. The model results show the impact on environmental indicators, water consumption, cropping patterns, technology adoption, labor, farmers' income, and the water agency revenues when different scenarios of cost recovery are considered. It is argued that this modeling approach may be used as a management tool to assist in the implementation of the cost recovery approach of the new Water Framework Directive.