The Economics of Water Resources

Abstract

Population growth and rising living standards, on the one hand, and changing climate, on the other hand, have exacerbated water scarcity worldwide. To address this problem, policymakers need to take a wide view of the water economy – a complex structure involving environmental, social, economic, legal, and institutional aspects. A coherent water policy must look at the water economy as a whole and apply a comprehensive approach to policy interventions. Written by two of the world's leading scholars on economics of water, this is the first graduate-level textbook on the topic. The book discusses water resource management within a comprehensive framework that integrates the different, yet highly entwined, elements of a water economy. It follows the steps needed to develop a well-designed set of policies based on detailed analyses of intervention measures, using multi-sectoral and economy-wide examples from a variety of locations and situations around the world. The first textbook on comprehensive water economics, a topic of growing interest and importance Full of valuable information for policymakers in the area of water resources A wide perspective across multiple sectors of the economy. 1. The state of water resources and the need for a comprehensive perspective 2. The water economy 3. Supply costs, demands and benefits 4. Optimal water policy 5. Water regulation 6. Conjunctive use 7. Case studies of regulatory interventions 8. Economy-wide considerations of water management 9. Management of transboundary water Index.