Your search found 30 records
1 Folmer, H.; Tietenberg, T. (Eds.) 2005. The international yearbook of environmental and resource economics 2005/2006: A survey of current issues. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. 324p.
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: 333.7 G000 FOL Record No: H039000)
2 Donoso, G.; Melo, O. 2006. Water quality management in Chile: Use of economic instruments. In Biswas, A. K.; Tortajada, C.; Braga, B.; Rodriguez, D. J. (Eds.). Water quality management in the Americas. Berlin, Germany: Springer. pp.229-251.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.91 G300 BIS Record No: H040190)
3 Blanco, J.; Guzman, Z. 2006. Water pollution charges: Colombian experience. In Biswas, A. K.; Tortajada, C.; Braga, B.; Rodriguez, D. J. (Eds.). Water quality management in the Americas. Berlin, Germany: Springer. pp.253-283.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.91 G300 BIS Record No: H040191)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044593)
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The recent water law reforms in Africa, Latin America and elsewhere strengthen permit systems. This water rights regime is rooted in Roman water law. The European colonial powers introduced this law in their colonies, especially in Latin America and later also in Sub-Saharan Africa. By declaring most waters as being public waters, they vested ownership of water resources in their overseas kings. This dispossessed indigenous peoples from their prior claims to water, while the new formal water rights (or permits) were reserved for colonial allies. At independence, ownership of water resources shifted to the new governments but the nature of the water laws, including the formal cancellation of indigenous water rights regimes as one of the plural water rights regimes, remained uncontested. This colonial legacy remained equally hidden in the recent reforms strengthening permit system. Based on research on the new permit systems in a context of legal pluralism in Tanzania, Mexico, South Africa, Ghana, Mozambique and elsewhere, this paper addresses two dilemmas. The first is: how can the dispossession and discrimination be reverted by recognizing and even encouraging informal water self-supply since time immemorial to meet basic livelihood needs by millions of small-scale water users? The second dilemma, which prevails in SubSaharan Africa, but less in Latin America, is: can permit systems become effective regulatory tools to combat water over-use and pollution, collect revenue, and, where historical justice warrants, to re-allocate water from the haves to the have-nots, as South Africa’s water law aims? The paper provides evidence and best practices on, first, how the state can recognize legal pluralism and informal water rights regimes, and, second, how state regulation can only become effective through lean and targeted measures, so without nation-wide permits.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: PER Record No: H044673)
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Irrigation tanks in India are common property resources. Tanks provide not only for irrigation, but also forestry, fishing, domestic water supply, livestock, and other uses. Using empirical results from a study of tank performance from 80 tanks in Tamil Nadu, South India in two time period: 1996-97 and 2009-10, this paper evaluates tank irrigation system performance in terms of economic output and revenue generation forirrigation and other uses. The results indicate that irrigation and other productive uses put together raised the total value of output at tank level by 12%in 1996-97 and just 6%in 2009-10. This may suggest that tank multiple use values are small and getting smaller, and therefore not worth consideration. However, it was also found that, while declining in absolute terms, non-irrigation uses provided the majority of tax revenues and still more than cover government's operation and maintenance expenditure (O&M) budget. This finding provides another reason to consider multiple use values and their linkage with overall system viability.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H045626)
(0.54 MB)
This article questions the effectiveness and viability of rural Tax-for-Fee reform (Fei Gai Shui) on water resources and agriculture production, taking the Zhanghe Irrigation System of China as a case study example. The Fei Gai Shui reform has been heralded as a possible solution for reducing the excessive fiscal burden on peasants. While the reform may achieve in relieving peasant burdens significantly, the initial impact of Fei Gai Shui on water resources and agricultural production indicate least satisfactory trends. The policy shows significant impact on rice yield and area. It might also have profound impact on cropping pattern but it has yet to be seen. Dependence on local water resources such as ponds show significant increase after Fei Gai Shui as it discouraged farmers to rely on regional water sources. Although the lower regional water use under Fei Gai Shui reduced the water charges paid by farmers, the savings were mostly offset by increasing pumping costs in accessing water from local ponds. Without any adjustments, the Fei Gai Shui is likely to cause serious predicament in agricultural sector. It is visioned that local water resources such as water ponds will continue to play an important role in sustaining agricultural production.
7 Bauer, C. J. 2004. Siren song: Chilean water law as a model for international reform. Washington, DC, USA: Resources for the Future. 173p.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.91 G516 BAU Record No: H045807)
(0.29 MB)
8 Schuerhoff, M. S.; Hellegers, P. 2015. Water pricing in the Netherlands. In Dinar, A.; Pochat, V.; Albiac-Murillo, J. (Eds.). Water pricing experiences and innovations. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. pp.249-262. (Global Issues in Water Policy Volume 9)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy SF Record No: H047126)
In the Netherlands, about 75 % of monitored groundwater extractions are used for the production of tap water. Water extraction for tap water production is the main consumer. The tap water rate of the various drinking water companies largely depends on the share of groundwater used, which requires lower treatment costs than surface water. In 2014, the tap water rate varied between 1.11 and 2.21 euro/ m3. There are various taxes in place on groundwater use, as well as on tap water use. Such taxes can aim to recover costs, trigger water-saving technologies, or reduce water demand for environmental purposes. In 1995, the national groundwater tax was implemented—a so-called “win–win, green” tax that aimed to reduce the income tax burden and to have an environmental impact in terms of reduced groundwater extraction. From 2012 onward, the Dutch government, however, revoked it, as it was fiscally inefficient and environmentally ineffective. It increased distortions by taxing only a narrow base and by interfering with groundwater management programs funded by an existing provincial groundwater fee. In 2014, the national tap water tax was increased. But given the fact that only 0.6 % of a household’s budget on average is dedicated to tap water, it is not likely that it will substantially reduce water demand. This increase in the tap water tax contradicts the low rate of the value-added tax (VAT) on tap water.
9 Barraque, B; Montginoul, M. 2015. How to integrate social objectives into water pricing. In Dinar, A.; Pochat, V.; Albiac-Murillo, J. (Eds.). Water pricing experiences and innovations. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. pp.359-371. (Global Issues in Water Policy Volume 9)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy SF Record No: H047131)
The social dimension should be addressed in the sustainability of water services provision, but it is less well studied than the economic and environmental ones. The debate between pros and cons of water privatization led the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to publish a seminal paper on social issues in water pricing, back in 2003. Relying on this document and other literature review, we successively present various solutions to support “water-poor” people in the payment of their charges: reducing bills for targeted populations (rebates, increasing blocks), supporting the income of targeted populations, reducing bills for all customers, and reintroducing taxation as a source of income. A general outcome is that social tariff design entails administrative costs that may offset the benefits it is supposed to generate. Lastly, we advocate the development of new software to assess the redistributive effects of ongoing tariffs, and tariff changes between categories of residents and with the water utilities’ capacity to invest.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 338.19 G000 DIA Record No: H047365)
(3.23 MB) (3.23 MB)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047791)
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This paper focuses on the application of the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Tanzania. It asks: how did IWRM affect the rural and fast-growing majority of smallholder farmers' access to water which contributes directly to poverty alleviation and employment creation in a country where poverty and joblessness are high? Around 1990, there were both a strong government-led infrastructure development agenda and IWRM ingredients in place, including cost-recovery of state services aligning with the Structural Adjustment Programmes, water management according to basin boundaries and the dormant colonial water rights (permits) system. After the 1990s, the World Bank and other donors promoted IWRM with a strong focus on hydroelectric power development, River Basin Water Boards, transformation of the water right system into a taxation tool, and assessment of environmental flows. These practices became formalised in the National Water Policy (2002) and in the Water Resources Management Act (2009). Activities in the name of IWRM came to be closely associated with the post-2008 surge in large-scale land and water deals. Analysing 25 years of IWRM, the paper identifies the processes and identities of the losers (smallholders and – at least partially – the government) and the winners (large-scale water users, including recent investors). We conclude that, overall, IWRM harmed smallholders' access to water and rendered them more vulnerable to poverty and unemployment.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047826)
(4.75 MB)
On-site sanitation systems, such as septic tanks and pit latrines, are the predominant feature across rural and urban areas in most developing countries. However, their management is one of the most neglected sanitation challenges. While under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the set-up of toilet systems received the most attention, business models for the sanitation service chain, including pit desludging, sludge transport, treatment and disposal or resource recovery, are only emerging. Based on the analysis of over 40 fecal sludge management (FSM) cases from Asia, Africa and Latin America, this report shows opportunities as well as bottlenecks that FSM is facing from an institutional and entrepreneurial perspective.
13 Closas, Alvar; Molle, Francois. 2016. Groundwater governance in Europe. [Project report of the Groundwater Governance in the Arab World - Taking Stock and Addressing the Challenges]. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 99p. (Groundwater Governance in the Arab World - Report 3)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048398)
(3.41 MB)
14 Closas, Alvar; Molle, Francois. 2016. Groundwater governance in America. [Project report of the Groundwater Governance in the Arab World - Taking Stock and Addressing the Challenges]. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 238p. (Groundwater Governance in the Arab World - Report 5)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048400)
(7.73 MB)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048720)
(0.15 MB)
The small and fluctuating population, the economic characteristics and administrative capacity of small towns not only pose infrastructural challenges for providing services, but also limit the possibilities for generating local revenues for financing water infrastructure development and maintenance. This limited ability to generate local resources for water infrastructure is exacerbated by the way in which scarce public funds are allocated. A first concern is linked to an urban bias that characterizes allocation of funds by central governments. A second concerns the prioritization of other sectors by allocation decisions of local governments. These local governments often prioritize other sectors such as education, health and agriculture for the use of scarce local public resources. What this discussion highlights is that existing models used for financing water infrastructure development do not seem very applicable to the realities of small towns. Additional research and models are necessary to allow for solutions that are better tailored to these realities.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048949)
(5.42 MB) (5.42 MB)
This book is devoted to the complex relationship between the global trading system and food security, focusing on two important elements: the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and how food price volatility can be managed, or not, through trade instruments. The first section of the book is based on the premise that more trade integration can fight poverty and alleviate hunger. The second section examines whether managing price volatility is doable through more or less trade integration. This section deals in particular with policy instruments available for policy makers to cope with price volatility: food stocks, crop insurance, and export restrictions. Analysis concludes that without a strong and efficient World Trade Organization (WTO) capable of conducting ambitious trade negotiations, the food security target will be much more difficult to hit.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H049141)
(2.20 MB)
A reliable supply of water is critical for agricultural intensification and yield improvement. Technological devices that lift, transport and apply water contribute to increased yield from improved crop varieties and high input cultivation. The increasing use of motor pumps is a significant contribution to the development of small-scale irrigation. The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the trajectories of technological innovations and uptake for agricultural water management in farming systems in Sri Lanka, with a special focus on identifying impacts, emerging issues and potential responses to the rapid proliferation of motor pumps in the intensification of agriculture in the country. The Government of Sri Lanka promoted the rapid adoption of water pumps through interventions such as the development of groundwater wells for agriculture; provision of subsidies and credit facilities for purchasing micro-irrigation equipment; and government policies on tax, tariffs and extension support. At the same time, the high profit margin realized from cash crop cultivation motivated farmers to invest in water lifting and related technologies. Finally, water scarcity and restrictions on the use of surface water, i.e., canals, prompted a shift to using water-lifting technologies to pump groundwater. The use of water pumps in agriculture has expanded the area under cultivation; increased cropping intensity, especially during the dry seasons; changed the cropping pattern from low-return rice cultivation to high-return cash crop cultivation; and enhanced household incomes. Expanded and intensified cultivation has provided more opportunities for women to participate in agriculture, generating additional income, and enhancing their purchasing power and decision-making at the household level. Some farmers do not have groundwater wells and water pumps because they lack the necessary capital to make the initial investment. Smallholder farmers, in particular, are reluctant to risk their limited income on new technologies. This may lead to the further marginalization of poor farmers. Inclusive intensification will require helping farmers to access irrigation technology, for example, through carefully targeted subsidies and access to credit. Using water pumps can provide benefits to both users and non-users, but uncontrolled groundwater extraction may also create new problems by putting enormous pressure on common property resources. The government will need to take on a dual role to both promote the inclusive growth of small-scale irrigation, and to prevent and mitigate its negative environmental impacts. This second role may include establishing a regulatory system, setting standards for well construction, and monitoring and enforcing standards on extraction and water quality. There is an urgent need for institutional measures and governance arrangements to guide and regulate groundwater irrigation, especially in the context of intensive cultivation using shallow aquifers.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049177)
(7.26 MB) (7.26 MB)
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049212)
(7.50 MB) (7.50 MB)
20 Kyei, C.; Hassan, R. 2019. Managing the trade-off between economic growth and protection of environmental quality: the case of taxing water pollution in the Olifants River Basin of South Africa. Water Policy, 21(2):277-290. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2019.190]
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049239)
(0.16 MB)
A series of pollution control measures have been introduced to protect water quality in the Olifants river basin, the third most water-stressed and most polluted basin in South Africa. This paper employed an environmentally extended computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to analyse the economic and environmental implications of a tax on water pollution in the basin. Implications of increasing the pollution tax rate currently in place for the levels of economic activities and water quality have been simulated under alternative tax revenue recycling schemes. Results of our policy simulations suggest that internalising the cost of water pollution through the tax regime achieves its environmental goals of protecting the aquatic ecosystem, by shifting production away from pollution-intensive sectors. This, however, comes at some cost to the regional economy of the basin. Recycling the tax revenue through income transfers to households or a subsidy to pollution abatement mitigates the adverse economic impacts.
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