Economic efficiency of water protection within environmentally friendly and integrated water resources management

Abstract

Economic efficiency of water protection means having a program to control and make water resources achieve water and environmental status targets. The goal of this paper is to point to the importance of economic efficiency of water protection which has a direct impact on the results of any environmentally friendly and integrated water resources management and produces effects measurable at the water-user side. In particular, this paper aims at specifying basic economic elements and limitations of water protection present in environmentally friendly and integrated water resources management systems. Achieved status targets of water resources are the basic parameters which contribute to full integrated management of waters in time and space. Economic efficiency is needed for water and environmental status targets to be achieved in a proper manner and with the right economic instruments and measures. The economic instruments and measures depend on economic policies that govern taxes, charges, fees and the like. Economic efficiency is more comprehensive than cost efficiency which, in environmentally friendly water management, pertains to institutional and operating costs of the measures imposed. The basis of economic efficiency is made of relationships between different offers that enable achieving specific environmental and water status of water resources. From an economic standpoint water protection comes down to achieving such status of water that allows efficient use of water in integrated water management and ecology.