Your search found 19 records
1 Zaman, A. M.; Davidson, B.; Malano, H. M. 2005. Temporary water trading trends in northern Victoria, Australia. Water Policy, 7(4):429-442.
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: PER Record No: H037404)
2 Davidson, B.; Malano, H. 2005. Key considerations in applying microeconomic theory to water quality issues. Water International, 30(2):147-154.
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: PER Record No: H037846)
3 Malano, H. M.; George, B. A.; Davidson, B.. 2005. Asset management modeling framework for irrigation and drainage systems: Principles and case study application. Irrigation and Drainage Systems, 19:107-127.
Irrigation management ; Irrigation programs ; Maintenance costs ; Operating costs ; Drainage ; Models / Vietnam / Cu Chi Irrigation System
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: P 7401 Record No: H037462)
4 Davidson, B.; Malano, H. M.; George, B. A. 2005. The financial viability of irrigation management companies: A case study of Cu Chi Irrigation System, Vietnam. Irrigation and Drainage Systems, 19:129-143.
Irrigation management ; Irrigation programs ; Operations ; Costs ; Expenditure ; Enterprises / Vietnam / Cu Chi Irrigation System
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: P 7402 Record No: H037463)
5 Wei, Y.; Chen, D.; Edis, R.; White, R.; Davidson, B.; Zhang, J.; Li, B. 2006. The perspective of farmers on why the adoption rate of water-saving irrigation techniques is low in China. In Willett, I. R.; Gao, Z. (Eds.) Agricultural water management in China: Proceedings of a workshop held in Beijing, China, 14 September 2005. Canberra, Australia: ACIAR. pp.153-160.
Water conservation ; Farmers’ attitudes ; Irrigation water ; Farm surveys / China / Henan Province / Fengqiu County
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: 631.7 G592 WIL Record No: H039229)
6 Mekala, Gayathri Devi; Davidson, B.; Samad, Madar; Boland, A. M. 2008. Wastewater reuse and recycling systems: a perspective into India and Australia. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI) 35p. (IWMI Working Paper 128) [doi: https://doi.org/10.3910/2009.309]
Water reuse ; Recycling ; Costs ; Social aspects ; Water quality ; Water use ; Water balance ; Water market ; Pricing ; User charges ; Water scarcity ; Development projects ; Developing countries ; Developed countries / India / Australia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 363.7284 G000 MEK Record No: H041343)
(1.27MB)
With issues of climate change, increase in urban population and the increased demand for water from competing sectors, wastewater recycling is becoming an important strategy to complement the existing water resources for both developing and developed countries. There are lessons, experiences, data and technology that can be shared for mutual benefit. The current paper is part of a doctoral research and presents a comprehensive literature review on the following issues in India and Australia: some key statistics of wastewater use and recycling; rationale for wastewater use; problems in promoting recycling; research gaps; economic characteristics of wastewater; wastewater markets and its future potential.
7 Mekala, Gayathri Devi; Davidson, B.; Samad, Madar; Boland, A. M. 2008. A framework for efficient wastewater treatment and recycling systems. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI) 17p. (IWMI Working Paper 129) [doi: https://doi.org/10.3910/2009.310]
Water reuse ; Wastewater ; Recycling ; Pricing ; Water allocation ; Cost benefit analysis ; Wastewater irrigation ; Developing countries ; Developed countries ; Case studies / India / Australia / Hyderabad / Melbourne
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 363.7284 G000 MEK Record No: H041344)
(320KB)
Use of un-treated/partially treated wastewater for irrigation in the dry countries of Asia and Africa and recycling of treated wastewater in the water scarce developed countries has become a common practice due to various reasons. While the lack of wastewater treatment to appropriate levels before use is a major problem in developing countries, the high cost of wastewater recycling is the major problem in developed countries. The current paper is part of a doctoral research and presents the conceptual framework for the research and the methodology that can be used to tackle the problems associated with wastewater recycling.
8 Mekala, Gayathri Devi; Davidson, B.; Samad, Madar; Boland, A. M. 2008. A framework for efficient wastewater treatment and recycling systems. Irrigation Australia Journal, 23(3):32-35.
Water reuse ; Recycling ; Wastewater management ; Wastewater treatment ; Cost benefit analysis ; Operating costs ; Wastewater irrigation ; Cost benefit analysis / Australia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042323)
http://www.irrigation.org.au/assets/pages/8B72AA2E-0D5B-7F87-C14E1432EA655FF4/august2008finalPDF1.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H042323.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H042323.pdf
(0.15 MB)
The drought conditions of the past seven years in Australia and increasing environmental awareness have led to an active promotion of wastewater recycling. The absolute and relative cost of recycling is one of the key factors that will have a big influence on the future of wastewater recycling in Australia.
This article outlines the development of a toolkit/decision support tool for allocating wastewater among different sectors to achieve desired objectives in a cost-efficient way. It deals in particular with answering these questions: How can the cost-effectiveness of wastewater recycling be judged and budget allocated? For which sectors in a defined region will wastewater recycling be cost-efficient? Wastewater has a number of alternative uses and each alternative is associated with a set of costs from the point of treatment to the point of use. As a result, recycling can satisfy more than one objective such as: reduce the discharge of nutrients to natural water bodies, ave/substitute potable water, bring more land under cultivation, and save water for environmental purposes. The methodology chosen to evaluate the best alternative or alternatives is Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.
This article outlines the development of a toolkit/decision support tool for allocating wastewater among different sectors to achieve desired objectives in a cost-efficient way. It deals in particular with answering these questions: How can the cost-effectiveness of wastewater recycling be judged and budget allocated? For which sectors in a defined region will wastewater recycling be cost-efficient? Wastewater has a number of alternative uses and each alternative is associated with a set of costs from the point of treatment to the point of use. As a result, recycling can satisfy more than one objective such as: reduce the discharge of nutrients to natural water bodies, ave/substitute potable water, bring more land under cultivation, and save water for environmental purposes. The methodology chosen to evaluate the best alternative or alternatives is Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.
9 Mekala, Gayathri Devi; Davidson, B.; Boland, A. M. 2007. Economics of wastewater treatment and recycling: an investigation of conceptual issues. Paper presented at the 51st Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Queenstown, New Zealand, 13-16 February 2007. 11p.
Water supply ; Water demand ; Population growth ; Water use ; Urban areas ; Water balance ; Wastewater ; Recycling ; Water quality ; Wastewater management ; Wastewater treatment ; Water allocation ; Pricing ; Economic aspects ; Cost benefit analysis / Australia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042324)
(0.08 MB)
In the context of continuous droughts, the search for alternative water sources and increasing environmental restrictions on discharge of treated wastewater into natural water bodies, treated wastewater recycling offers a potential solution. In this paper the methods needed to assess the questions - to what extent treated wastewater can complement the existing water sources in different sectors and at what cost - are discussed? It was concluded that a comparative Benefit Cost Analysis of different combinations of uses and treatment levels would be a critical component in the development of a decision support tool which could be used by urban planners and water authorities. It was also found that community acceptance of recycled water, distribution of costs and benefits of recycling and its broader impact on regional development are issues that need to be considered, along with the economics of wastewater recycling.
10 Mekala, Gayathri Devi; Samad, Madar; Davidson, B.; Boland, A. M. 2009. Valuing a clean river: a case study of Musi River, Hyderabad, India. Paper presented at the 53rd Annual Conference of Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, Cairns, Australia, 13-16 February 2009. 19p.
Rivers ; Water quality ; Valuation ; Cost recovery ; Surveys ; Water pollution ; Pollution control ; Wastewater treatment ; Wastewater management / India / Hyderabad / Musi River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042325)
(0.24 MB)
The current study uses contingent valuation technique to estimate the value of clean water in river Musi in Hyderabad, India. The main source of pollution of the river is untreated domestic and industrial wastewater from the urban area of Hyderabad. Therefore, people’s Willingness To Pay [WTP] for the treatment of their wastewater to different quality levels (Level C, B & A) is estimated using a payment card method. Four variables were considered to influence the willingness to pay - number of years the household lived in Hyderabad; individual perceived importance of controlling water pollution; household income levels and proximity to the river. The results of the logistic regression confirmed that the variables - perceived importance of the respondent of controlling water pollution and household incomes have a significant influence on people’s WTP. Only 30% of the respondents were willing to pay for wastewater to be treated to level C. It was concluded from the survey results that 100% cost recovery of sewerage services and wastewater treatment would not be possible in Hyderabad in the current situation. However, a phased increase in the water tariffs accompanied with simultaneous improvements in service delivery mechanisms and awareness among consumers may be successful in the long-run.
11 Davidson, B.; Hellegers, Petra; Samad, Madar. 2009. Assessing the economic impact of redistributing water within a catchment: a case study of the Musi Catchment in the Krishna Basin in India. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 38p. (IWMI Working Paper 134) [doi: https://doi.org/10.3910/2010.005]
Economic impact ; Catchment areas ; River basins ; Models ; Water allocation / India / Krishna River Basin / Musi Catchment / Nagarjuna Sagar
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 333.9162 G635 DAV Record No: H042879)
(321.47 KB)
The aim in this paper was to present the details of an economic modeling exercise conducted on the Musi Catchment of the Krishna Basin. The model has the unique characteristic of being able to value the water used on individual crops and in different regions. Thus, the individual values of water used to produce different crops, grown over two different seasons and over five very different regions within a catchment, were determined. This is a significant improvement over previous attempts, where a single value of water in a catchment was derived regardless of what it is used for, when it was used and where it used in the catchment. In addition to the agricultural valuation process, some account was made for the other uses of water and how they should be valued. The worth of these findings cannot be underestimated as the results are useful to those who need to allocate scarce water supplies between competing uses within a catchment. The assumptions underlying the model, the data used and the results and implications drawn are fully detailed in this paper. This model was connected to a hydrological model and used to simulate various scenarios on the water situation facing users in the basin. This model is the forerunner of similar modeling attempts on similar problems in other regions of the Krishna Basin and in the Murray Darling Basin of Australia.
12 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.
13 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.
14 Kumar, Saideepa; Lagudu, Surinaidu; Pavelic, Paul; Davidson, B.. 2012. Integrating cost and benefit considerations with supply- and demand-based strategies for basin-scale groundwater management in South-West India. Water International, 37(4):362-379. (Special issue on "How hydrological models support informed decision making in developing countries" with contributions by IWMI authors). [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2012.708601]
Cost benefit analysis ; Groundwater management ; River basins ; Aquifers ; Upstream ; Downstream ; Climate change ; Irrigated sites ; Simulation models ; Economic aspects / India / Krishna River Basin / Upper Bhima River Sub-basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: PER Record No: H044994)
(1.15 MB)
Efforts to reverse groundwater depletion in hard-rock regions by enhancing aquifer recharge with valuable surface water present complex challenges and trade-offs related to upstream–downstream interactions and equity. Here, groundwater modelling is used in combination with economic valuation techniques to assess the effectiveness of alternative supply and demand measures under different climate change scenarios in an upper sub-basin of the Krishna River basin in India. It is found that aquifer recharge provides benefits for the sub-basin that are not apparent at the basin scale.Water recharged or crops selected in upper catchments should aim to generate economic benefits that outweigh losses faced downstream.
15 Mason, D.; Davidson, B.. 2014. Why and how to sustain agriculture around our cities: a case study of 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.269-282. (Water Science and Technology Library Volume 71)
Sustainable agriculture ; Agricultural development ; Urban development ; Food production ; Marketing ; Development projects ; State intervention ; Farmers ; Periurban areas ; Case studies / Australia / Sydney
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047041)
In the peri-urban regions that surround cities traditional industries, such as agriculture, tend to suffer as the process of urbanisation occurs. These industries tended to survive because their proximity to urban centres provided them with all the advantages of a natural monopoly in selected products. However, this natural protection is eroded by improvements in transport systems, amongst other factors, and in the end the traditional industries succumb to development pressures. In the past this process of change has not been managed well, with many instances of peri-urban regions and industries being swallowed up by new urban developments. The purpose in this paper is to outline an example of a program that is designed to manage the interests of those in the traditional industries in peri-urban regions as the process of development occurs. The program is known as the Hawkesbury Harvest and it is applied to the peri-urban region to the west of Sydney, Australia. In this paper, the history of agriculture in the region is initially presented in order to provide a context of how Hawkesbury Harvest operates. The region itself had a number of natural assets that protected it from competition, but these ceased with the development of improved transport networks. Hawkesbury Harvest operates within a competitive environment promoting the products and ecosystem services of traditional activities in a region that is subject to severe urban development pressures. It serves to manage the process of change in an ever changing environment and acts as a template for other regions suffering from similar pressures.
16 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.
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
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