Valuing Ground Water

Valuing Ground Water PDF

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 1997-07-10

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 0309175003

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Because water in the United State has not been traded in markets, there is no meaningful estimate of what it would cost if it were traded. But failing to establish ground water's valueâ€"for in situ uses such as sustaining wetlands as well as for extractive uses such as agricultureâ€"will lead to continued overuse and degradation of the nation's aquifers. In Valuing Ground Water an interdisciplinary committee integrates the latest economic, legal, and physical knowledge about ground water and methods for valuing this resource, making it comprehensible to decision-makers involved in Superfund cleanup efforts, local wellhead protection programs, water allocation, and other water-related management issues. Using the concept of total economic value, this volume provides a framework for calculating the economic value of ground water and evaluating tradeoffs between competing uses of it. Included are seven case studies where ground-water valuation has been or could be used in decisionmaking. The committee examines trends in ground-water management, factors that contribute to its value, and issues surrounding ground-water allocation and legal rights to its use. The book discusses economic valuation of natural resources and reviews several valuation methods. Presenting conclusions, recommendations, and research priorities, Valuing Ground Water will be of interest to those concerned about ground-water issues: policymakers, regulators, economists, attorneys, researchers, resource managers, and environmental advocates.

Determining the Economic Value of Water

Determining the Economic Value of Water PDF

Author: Robert A. Young

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-07-23

Total Pages: 359

ISBN-13: 1135040524

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Water provides benefits as a commodity for agriculture, industry, and households, and as a public good such as fisheries habitat, water quality and recreational use. To aid in cost-benefit analysis under conditions where market determined price signals are usually unavailable, economists have developed a range of alternative valuation methods for measuring economic benefits. This volume provides the most comprehensive exposition to-date of the application of economic valuation methods to proposed water resources investments and policies. It provides a conceptual framework for valuation of both commodity and public good uses of water, addressing non-market valuation techniques appropriate to measuring public benefits - including water quality improvement, recreation, and fish habitat enhancement. The book describes the various measurement methods, illustrates how they are applied in practice, and discusses their strengths, limitations, and appropriate roles. In this second edition, all chapters have been thoroughly updated, and in particular the coverage of water markets and valuation of ecosystem services from water has been expanded. Robert Young, author of the 2005 edition, has been joined for this new edition by John Loomis, who brings additional expertise on ecosystem services and the environmental economics of water for recreational and other public good uses of water.

Markets for Water

Markets for Water PDF

Author: K. William Easter

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2007-08-20

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 0585320888

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Markets for Water: Potential and Performance dispels many of the myths surrounding water markets and gives readers a comprehensive picture of the way that markets have developed in different parts of the world. It is possible, for example, for a water market to fail, and for the transaction costs in water markets to be excessive. Too often water trading is banned because the water resources have been developed with public funds and the water agencies do not want to lose control over water. There is also a concern that poor farmers or households will be disadvantaged by water trading. These concerns about public resources and the poor are not very different from those that have been voiced in the past about land sales. The problem is that in many cases the poor already have limited access to resources, but this limit is not due to water trading. In fact, water trading is likely to expand the access to water for many small-scale farmers. Markets for Water: Potential and Performance provides an analytical framework for water market establishment. It develops the necessary conditions for water markets and illustrates how they can improve both water management and economic efficiency. Finally, the book gives readers an up-to-date picture of what we have learned about water markets in a wide range of countries, from the US to Chile and India.

Water Stewardship and Business Value

Water Stewardship and Business Value PDF

Author: William Sarni

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-04-09

Total Pages: 106

ISBN-13: 1317237471

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The tangible value of increased water efficiency, reuse and recycling and improved social license to operate are moving more companies to adopt water stewardship strategies. This book frames an expanded strategy for water stewardship and business value creation, including brand value, that benefits a range of stakeholders including consumers, customers, investors and employees. The book shows that until recently the linkage between full business value and water stewardship has been missing from the corporate agenda. This linkage and value creation from a leading water strategy is increasingly important to socially responsible investors and "aspirationals" who value companies that have a social mission or focus to their overall business strategy. In general the largest portion of a company’s market capitalization is intangible value and understanding how a water strategy contributes to this intangible value is essential. The authors include cases studies and a framework or path forward to guide companies as they seek to build leading water strategy that goes beyond water stewardship to drive full business value from this investment. The book establishes the linkages and value from an integrated water and business strategy and an approach for companies to follow.

Smart Markets for Water Resources

Smart Markets for Water Resources PDF

Author: John F. Raffensperger

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-04-20

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 331955008X

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Why is trade in wholesale water so rare, when markets can actively trade bread, tractors, and electricity? This book shows that water markets fail because of high transaction costs, resulting in inefficient allocations and unpredictable environmental effects. To overcome these obstacles, this book proposes a trading mechanism called a smart market. A smart market is an auction cleared with optimization. A smart market can reduce the transaction costs of water trading, while improving the environmental outcomes. The authors show why a smart market for water is needed, how it would work, and how to implement it. The smart market described here uses a hydrology simulation of the water resource, user bids via the internet, and mathematical optimization, to maximize the economic value of water while meeting all environmental constraints. The book provides the background to understand the smart market for water, and the detail to help the reader start working on its application. The book explores topics such as: Why water should be more expensive near sensitive environmental locations, Ways to set initial allocations of water rights, The role of regulatory oversight, The prerequisites of a water market, and How to counter objections to water markets. The culmination of a decade of investigation, this book combines explanation, examples, and detail to inform policymakers, large water users, environmental organizations, researchers, and a thirsty public.

What Water Is Worth: Overlooked Non-Economic Value in Water Resources

What Water Is Worth: Overlooked Non-Economic Value in Water Resources PDF

Author: K. Russo

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-10-22

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13: 1137062495

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What Water is Worth addresses both conventional and non-conventional values of water, discussing the value of water as it relates to conventional microeconomics, water's true utility and government regulation, and new and current practices in water management.

Water Allocation and Water Markets

Water Allocation and Water Markets PDF

Author: Robert R. Hearne

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 1995-01-01

Total Pages: 102

ISBN-13: 9780821335284

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World Bank Technical Paper No. 315. Focuses on water allocation problems and the performance of water markets in improving allocation. By examining specific case studies in Chile, it demonstrates that water can no longer be treated as a free good and that better ways must be found to improve its allocation and use. The findings suggest that market transfer of water use rights in the study area produce economic gains both in intersectoral trade and trade among farmers and create rents for buyers and sellers.