Your search found 13 records
1 George, B.; Malano, H.; Davidson, B.; Hellegers, P.; Bharati, Luna; Massuel, S. 2011. An integrated hydro-economic modelling framework to evaluate water allocation strategies II: scenario assessment. Agricultural Water Management, 98(5):747-758. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2010.12.005]
Water allocation ; Models ; River basins ; Economic aspects / India / Krishna River Basin / Musi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: PER Record No: H043545)
(1.46 MB)
In this paper the results of an assessment of the hydrological and economic implications of reallocating water in the Musi sub-basin, a catchment within the Krishna Basin in India, are reported. Policy makers identified a number of different but plausible scenarios that could apply in the sub-basin, involving; supplying additional urban demand from agricultural allocations of water, implementing a number of demand management strategies, changing the timing of releases for hydropower generation, changing the crops grown under irrigation, reducing existing stream flows and allowing for more environmental flows. The framework chosen to undertake this assessment was a simulation model that measures and compares the economic values of water allocation scenarios determined from a water allocation model that accounts for supplies of groundwater and surface water across a number of regions and over a variety of uses. Policy makers are provided with the range of measures on the security of the supply of water and the social costs and benefits of reallocating water between sectors and across regions within the sub-basin. Taking water from agriculture to supply urban users has a greater impact on irrigation supplies during dry years. It was also found that changing the allocation of water between sectors, by taking it away from agriculture had a large positive economic impact on the urban sector. Yet the costs involved in undertaking such a strategy results in a significant loss in the net present value of the scheme. Stream flow reductions, if significantly large (at around 20%), were found to have a large physical and economic impact on the agricultural sector. Implementing water saving strategies in Hyderabad was found to be more cost effective than taking water from agriculture, if rainwater tanks are used to achieve this. Changing the timing of hydropower flows resulted in best meeting of irrigation demand in NSLC and NSRC. Under this scenario, the crops grown under irrigation were found to have a significant economic impact on the sub-basin, but not as large as farmers undertaking crop diversification strategies, ones which result in farmers growing less rice. The security of supplying water to different agricultural zones has significantly improved under this scenario. Finally, releasing water for environmental purposes was found to have only a minor impact on the agricultural sector.
2 George, B.; Malano, H.; Davidson, B.; Hellegers, P.; Bharati, Luna; Massuel, S. 2011. An integrated hydro-economic modelling framework to evaluate water allocation strategies I: model development. Agricultural Water Management, 98(5):733-746. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2010.12.004]
Water allocation ; Models ; Economic aspects ; River basins ; Water demand / India / Krishna River Basin / Musi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: PER Record No: H043544)
(1.10 MB)
In this paper an integrated modelling framework for water resources planning and management that can be used to carry out an analysis of alternative policy scenarios for water allocation and use is described. The modelling approach is based on integrating a network allocation model (REALM) and a social Cost Benefit economic model, to evaluate the physical and economic outcomes from alternative water allocation policies in a river basin or sub-basin. From a hydrological perspective, surface and groundwater models were first applied to assess surface and groundwater resource availability. Then an allocation model was applied to reconcile the calculated surface and groundwater resources. From an economic perspective initially the value of water allocated to different uses in each demand centre within the system was estimated. These values were then placed in a social Cost Benefit Analysis to assess the economic consequences of different allocation scenarios over time and space. This approach is useful as it allows policymakers to consider not only the physical dimensions of distributing water, but also the economic consequences associated with it. This model is considered superior to other models as water is increasingly being seen as an economic good that should be allocated according to its value. The framework outlined in this paper was applied to the Musi sub-basin located in the Krishna Basin, India. In applying this framework it was concluded that competition for Musi water is very high, the transfer of water from agriculture to urban users is likely to grow in future and the value of water used in different agricultural zones is very low.
3 Davidson, B.; Malano, H.; Hellegers, P.; George, B.; Nawarathna, B. 2014. Valuing the water used in peri-urban regions of Hyderabad, India and in western Sydney, Australia. In Maheshwari, B.; Purohit, R.; Malano, H.; Singh, V. P.; Amerasinghe, Priyanie. (Eds.). The security of water, food, energy and liveability of cities: challenges and opportunities for peri-urban futures. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. pp.463-474. (Water Science and Technology Library Volume 71)
Periurban areas ; Water rates ; Water use ; Waste management ; Water distribution ; Water allocation ; Economic value ; Domestic water ; Industrial uses ; Agricultural sector ; Catchment areas / Australia / India / Western Sydney / Hyderabad / South Creek Catchment
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047054)
Economic theory suggests that resources should be employed in different sectors to the point where their marginal values are equal. Yet what has been observed in many instances is that the marginal values of a resource tend to differ, depending on what they are used for. While this occurs for a variety of reasons, it is argued in this paper that the observable relative differences in the marginal values of a resource are a measure of the pressures forcing a reallocation of those resources within a region. This issue is most acute in peri-urban regions (those places where cities and the rural environment meet) as the competition between a declining agricultural sector and the growing domestic and industrial sectors is most intense. The argument arises as to what extent is the pressure to transfer resources between these declining and expanding sectors. To answer that question it is necessary to value the resource in question in a consistent and comprehensive manner across all sectors. Once done, the forces exerted on the resource can be gauged by observing the relative differences in the values placed on it in each use. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a method that has been used to undertake this task with respect to the allocation of water resources. However, analyzing this question in the water sector has been stymied by the fact that the value of water deployed cannot be compared easily with that allocated to other sectors. The approach taken is an extension of the Residual Method that is used to calculate the marginal value product of water used in each crop and then aggregated to obtain the total value of water allocated to the agricultural sector as a whole. These results are then compared to the more conventionally obtained values of water used in other sectors. The results presented in this paper were drawn from research that has been published on two very different peri-urban sites, in Western Sydney, Australia and in Hyderabad, India. It can be concluded that despite the differences in the circumstances, conditions and concerns of stakeholders, the approach is robust enough to be used in a variety of situations where the competition for water between sectors exists. It was found that the value of water used for domestic purposes is significantly greater than that deployed to the agricultural sector in both peri-urban regions. In addition, it does not matter that the quantities used in the urban areas for domestic and industrial uses are relatively small when compared to those in the agricultural sector (as is the case in Hyderabad) or not (as in the case in Western Sydney). Just like other resources (principally land) it is inevitable that in peri-urban regions water will be and should be allocated to the use that it is most valued; towards urban expansion and away from agriculture.
4 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)
Water rates ; Pricing ; Taxes ; Groundwater extraction ; Surface water ; Water use ; Drinking water ; Irrigation water ; Households / Netherlands
(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.
5 Siderius, C.; Boonstra, H.; Munaswamy, V.; Ramana, C.; Kabat, P.; van Ierland, E.; Hellegers, P.. 2015. Climate-smart tank irrigation: a multi-year analysis of improved conjunctive water use under high rainfall variability. Agricultural Water Management, 148:52-62. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2014.09.009]
Irrigation systems ; Tank irrigation ; Rehabilitation ; Climate change ; Water use ; Conjunctive use ; Rain ; Groundwater ; Water productivity ; Performance evaluation ; Intensive farming ; Crop yield ; Farm income ; Farmers ; Case studies / India / Andhra Pradesh / Musilipedu Tank
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047426)
(2.42 MB)
Although water harvesting is receiving renewed attention as a strategy to cope with increasing seasonal and inter-annual rainfall variability, many centuries-old local water-harvesting reservoirs (tanks) in India are rapidly deteriorating. Easy access to groundwater is seen as one of the major threats to their maintenance and functioning. Potentially, however, conjunctive use of water from rain, tanks and groundwater reserves, supported by proper monitoring, could improve the resilience and productivity of traditional tank irrigation systems. To date, few quantitative multi-annual analyses of such climate-smart systems have been published. To redress this, we assess the sustainability of a rehabilitated tank irrigation system, by monitoring all inputs and outputs over a period of six years (12 cropping seasons). Our results show that during the period considered, improved conjunctive use resulted in a more stable cropping intensity, increased economic water productivity and higher net agricultural income. Groundwater tables were not negatively affected. We argue that improved conjunctive use can considerably reduce the vulnerability of tank irrigation to rainfall variability and thus is a valuable strategy in light of future climate change.
6 Hellegers, P.; Leflaive, X. 2015. Water allocation reform: what makes it so difficult? Water International, 40(2):273-285. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2015.1008266]
Water allocation ; Reforms ; Water management ; Water demand ; Water use ; Water policy ; Water market ; Economic aspects ; Decision support systems ; Social aspects ; Equity ; Political aspects
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047473)
(0.32 MB)
The increasingly urgent reform of water allocation is challenged by the complexity of the political dimension, in particular the need to reconcile often competing objectives such as food and energy security and green growth. Moreover, these objectives are unstable, and allocation regimes have to adjust to shifting priorities and circumstances at the lowest cost to society. Climate change generates additional uncertainty in water availability and demand. This calls for robust allocation regimes that can adjust, reallocate and reduce water allocation in an organized way.
7 Hellegers, P.; van Halsema, G. 2019. Weighing economic values against societal needs: questioning the roles of valuing water in practice. Water Policy, 21(3):514-525. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2019.048]
Water resources ; Water management ; Economic value ; Social values ; Risks ; Water allocation ; Water governance ; Water use ; Water policy ; Multi-stakeholder processes ; Decision making ; Political aspects ; Equity
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049233)
https://iwaponline.com/wp/article-pdf/21/3/514/572335/021030514.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049233.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049233.pdf
(0.15 MB) (156 KB)
The increasing policy interest in valuing water raises questions about practical roles or applications. Is valuing water intended, for example, to inform public policy and businesses, guide resource allocation, support a multi-stakeholder process, manage conflicts of interest, or to inform realistic pricing systems and support investment decisions? Decisions affecting water often fail, however, to consider ecosystem needs and social objectives and impacts in other geographical areas. This paper reflects on the essence of valuing water in practice. The paper concludes that in practice, valuing water is indeed useful in decision-making, not solely in the sense of it contributing to the value determination (as values are typically disputed, partial, incommensurable and imperfect), but more in offering a structured and transparent mechanism that supports an inclusive stakeholder water resources management process. Water valuation can play a key role in making explicit the trade-offs intrinsic to decision-making and priority setting, especially when it concerns societal needs such as food security and stability, which are not revealed in the marketplace. As such, valuing water may be a key tool in water diplomacy, whereby its value lies not so much in its numerical assessment as in the process it offers to engage stakeholders across different perspectives and interests in water use.
8 Davidson, B.; Hellegers, P.; George, B.; Malano, H. 2019. The opportunity costs of increasing reliability in irrigation systems. Agricultural Water Management, 222:173-181. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2019.03.005]
Irrigation systems ; Opportunity costs ; Cost benefit analysis ; Water use ; Water resources ; Water management ; Water supply ; Catchment areas ; Flow discharge ; Case studies ; Models / India / Andhra Pradesh / Musi Catchment
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049403)
(0.80 MB)
Increasing water reliability in a catchment requires reducing the total quantity of water available to users in some years in order to supply it in more years when its supply is constrained. Thus, the more reliable the supply the more water that needs to be withheld. Consequently, increased levels of water reliability to a catchment, which reduces the costs associated with an unreliable supply, often comes at an incremental increase in costs that researchers do not consider; that of the water foregone that could be have been used productively if the system had been run less reliably. In this paper the trade-offs between the costs of water foregone to maintain a level of reliability and the costs associated with an unreliable supply of water at different levels of reliability in an irrigation system are discussed. The concepts developed are applied to the irrigation sector in the Musi catchment in Andhra Pradesh, India from 2011 to 2040. In this catchment it was found that the costs of water foregone to increase reliability rise as the level of reliability rises, while the benefits generally fall. When the level of reliability exceeded approximately 85% (where water is so scarce that it is used on only the most valuable output), the costs of greater reliability exceed the benefits resulting in net losses to the system. These results were found to vary in each demand centre across the catchment. These results have implications for those considering innovations that improve the level of reliability in a catchment.
9 Tawfik, Mohamed Hassan; Hoogesteger, J.; Elmahdi, Amgad; Hellegers, P.. 2021. Unpacking wastewater reuse arrangements through a new framework: insights from the analysis of Egypt. Water International, 46(4):605-625. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2021.1921503]
Water reuse ; Wastewater treatment ; Waste management ; Waste collection ; Sewerage ; Irrigation ; Water policies ; Regulations ; Treatment plants ; Technology ; Water resources ; Villages ; Farmers ; Case studies / Egypt / Nile Delta / Marsa Matrouh / El Hamamee / Al Ashara
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050497)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02508060.2021.1921503?needAccess=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050497.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050497.pdf
(10.20 MB) (10.2 MB)
Wastewater reuse is identified as strategic to help ameliorate scarcity in water-stressed regions around the world. However, to develop it, there is a need to better understand the social, institutional and technological contexts in which it takes place. This article develops a novel socio-technical framework to inform such an analysis and applies it to current wastewater reuse in Egypt. Our analysis highlights the different actors, management activities and practices that shape wastewater collection, transfer, treatment, discharge and/or reuse in different social, technological and environmental contexts in Egypt. It points out bottlenecks of current wastewater reuse policies and programmes.
10 Hellegers, P.; Davidson, B. 2021. Resolving the problems of commensurability in valuing water. Water International, 16p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2021.1935576]
Water resources ; Valuation ; Economic value ; Frameworks ; Transformation ; Indicators ; Social aspects ; Environmental impact ; Policies
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050511)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02508060.2021.1935576
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050511.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050511.pdf
(2.32 MB) (2.32 MB)
In this paper a framework is presented for comparing the values derived from the different dimensions of water, without incurring the problems of commensurability. The framework is based on the concept of opportunity cost, which values any good by what one is willing to sacrifice to get it, which is a way of comparing seemingly different things. By simulating changes to a water resource and then measuring the economic, social and environmental impacts in metrics common and accepted by each dimension, a curve of the trade-offs between each metric can be derived. This makes trade-offs intrinsic to decision-making explicit.
11 Hellegers, P.; Davidson, B.; Russ, J.; Waalewijn, P. 2022. Irrigation subsidies and their externalities. Agricultural Water Management, 260:107284. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2021.107284]
Irrigation water ; Subsidies ; Externalities ; Water market ; Market prices ; Reforms ; Political aspects ; Government
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050829)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377421005618/pdfft?md5=6f9a1f67746be1b8524be54dfd4d2dbc&pid=1-s2.0-S0378377421005618-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050829.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050829.pdf
(0.56 MB) (576 KB)
Subsidising irrigation is a legitimate approach that governments have used to achieve a set of social objectives. Yet it may simultaneously impose negative externalities, especially in the form of environment degradation. Could subsidies be reformed to be less harmful? To answer this question requires an insight into how various kinds of subsidies work, the interplay between subsidies and externalities, and the political complexity of subsidy reform. In this paper these insights are investigated using supply-demand graphs. It is argued in this paper that a broad definition of subsidies should be used, one that includes the implicit subsidies that result from partial cost recovery. It is also shown that even without subsidies, externalities due to irrigation would still exist and that any reform of existing subsidies will counter the positive impact irrigation may have, which may not be a desirable outcome.
12 Seijger, C.; Chukalla, A.; Bremer, K.; Borghuis, G.; Christoforidou, M.; Mul, M.; Hellegers, P.; van Halsema, G. 2023. Agronomic analysis of WaPOR applications: confirming conservative biomass water productivity in inherent and climatological variance of WaPOR data outputs. Agricultural Systems, 211:103712. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103712]
Water productivity ; Climatic data ; Biomass ; Agronomic characters ; Analysis ; Remote sensing ; Evapotranspiration ; Climate variability ; Agronomy / Ethiopia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052209)
(4.96 MB)
CONTEXT: Improvements in agricultural water productivity with constrained water resources are often regarded a prerequisite to meet food demands of a growing world population. The WaPOR data portal was launched to monitor biomass, evapotranspiration and biomass water productivity in Africa and the Near East using remote sensing technologies. The WaPOR database shows spatial pixel variation in biomass, suggesting scope to improve water productivity at field level.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to assess with regression analyses for different spatial and temporal scales whether spatial variability in biomass and evapotranspiration as revealed by WaPOR can be attributed to human influenceable factors, variations in local climate, or methodologically inherent inacuracies of the WaPOR data.
METHODS: Variation in biomass and evapotranspiration data was assessed through agronomic linear regression analyses, for two large-scale irrigated sugarcane estates in Ethiopia (Wonji) and Mozambique (Xinavane).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In these cases 82–94% of the variation in biomass and evapotranspiration is attributed to crop photosynthetic efficiency (very large influence), local climate (large influence) and irrigation technology (small influence). The remaining unexplained spatial variability is small (6–18%) and falls within an error range of +/- 9%. In conclusion, WaPOR performed very well by neatly reproducing the conservative relationship between biomass and evapotranspiration, which also means there is very limited scope to improve biomass water productivity through WaPOR monitoring. Further research is recommended on the magnitude of WaPOR accuracy and other sources that explain variations in biomass and evapotranspiration.
SIGNIFCANCE: Applicability of the WaPOR database to monitor biomass water productivity was assessed. Spatial variability in biomass and evapotranspiration data largely stemmed from photosynthesis and local climate, factors farmers and water managers can hardly influence.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to assess with regression analyses for different spatial and temporal scales whether spatial variability in biomass and evapotranspiration as revealed by WaPOR can be attributed to human influenceable factors, variations in local climate, or methodologically inherent inacuracies of the WaPOR data.
METHODS: Variation in biomass and evapotranspiration data was assessed through agronomic linear regression analyses, for two large-scale irrigated sugarcane estates in Ethiopia (Wonji) and Mozambique (Xinavane).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: In these cases 82–94% of the variation in biomass and evapotranspiration is attributed to crop photosynthetic efficiency (very large influence), local climate (large influence) and irrigation technology (small influence). The remaining unexplained spatial variability is small (6–18%) and falls within an error range of +/- 9%. In conclusion, WaPOR performed very well by neatly reproducing the conservative relationship between biomass and evapotranspiration, which also means there is very limited scope to improve biomass water productivity through WaPOR monitoring. Further research is recommended on the magnitude of WaPOR accuracy and other sources that explain variations in biomass and evapotranspiration.
SIGNIFCANCE: Applicability of the WaPOR database to monitor biomass water productivity was assessed. Spatial variability in biomass and evapotranspiration data largely stemmed from photosynthesis and local climate, factors farmers and water managers can hardly influence.
13 Tawfik, Mohamed; Hoogesteger, J.; Moussa, M.; Hellegers, P.. 2024. ‘Squeezing Out’ the Nile Delta’s drainage water to irrigate Egypt’s desert land. Water, 16(1):157. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w16010157]
Deserts ; Reclamation ; Water availability ; Wastewater ; Drainage water ; Irrigation water ; Water reuse / Egypt
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052556)
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/16/1/157/pdf?version=1704201640
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052556.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H052556.pdf
(4.23 MB) (4.23 MB)
Egypt’s quota of Nile River water has been constant since the 1950s, despite the continual agricultural land expansion. To facilitate land reclamation, Egypt has reallocated Nile water from downstream users, mostly smallholders in the ‘old lands’ of the Delta. As water demands have grown, more attention has gone to the reuse of waste/drainage water as a reliable source for irrigated agriculture in the “old lands”. Recently, new mega plants for drainage water treatment have been built to promote reclamation of ‘new lands’ in desert-front governorates located outside the Nile Delta. Through these plants and the related water conveyance infrastructure, drainage water from the ‘old lands’ is now being collected, treated, and reallocated to these newly reclaimed areas. This article scrutinizes this transformation of access to drainage water, examining who benefits and what implications it holds for smallholder farmers in the old lands. The analysis suggests that waste/drainage water reclamation schemes do not tap into unused water but actually risk depriving smallholders in the Nile Delta of water access. It argues that more attention should be given to existing informal reuse arrangements and that smallholders’ access to water is guaranteed in light of new drainage water reuse projects.
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