ECONIS Select – Tackling the Tragedy of the Water Commons

07/2010

Selected for the Global Economic Symposium 2010

Water is one of our basic resources, but it is often in short supply not only for human use but also for ecological systems. While in some countries groundwater resources still are abundant and readily available for development, in others depletion due to overdrafting, waterlogging, salination as well as pollution cause severe problems. In addition, the uneven distribution of water (and population) among regions has made the adequate supply critical for a growing number of countries. Rapid population growth and an increasing consumption of water per capita have aggravated the problem. This tendency is likely to continue as water consumption for most uses is projected to increase by at least 50 percent by 2025 compared to 1995 level.

One additional reason for concern is (anthropogenic) climate change. Climate model simulations suggest that changes in precipitation patterns, intensity and extremes, as well as shifts in seasonal runoff will increase the unevenness in water availability further. Suitable adaptation strategies for sustainable development will differ between regions and sectors. Strategies that are appropriate for the industrial sector might not be that appropriate for agriculture, the largest consumer of water. Also, suitable approaches for developing regions might be unsuitable for developed regions.

• Which adaptation strategies are most likely to be successful in regions that will be hit most severely by climate change?
• How could these strategies be implemented?
• Could the import of water-intensive products constitute one solution for water-short countries to preserve domestic water resources?
• What would be crucial for such a strategy to be successful?
• How do management techniques and wateruse policies have to be designed to foster sustainable water use?
• What is the role of business and how can business help alleviating the problem?
• How can business be incentivised to do so?
• Which would be the appropriate institutional level for bringing about adaptation—regional, national, or international?
• How do institutional arrangements have to look like to facilitate the implementation of effective adaptation measures?

Literature selected from our database ECONIS:

• Article: Implications of global climatic change on water and food security / P. K. Aggarwal and A. K. Singh
  In: Global change. - Berlin [u.a.]: Springer, ISBN 978-3-642-04614-8. - 2010, S. 49-63
  Subject heading: Climate change / Water / Water supply / Food security / World
• Article: Mobilizing investment for municipal water supply services / Suzanne Gallagher O'Neal
  In: Global change. - Berlin [u.a.]: Springer, ISBN 978-3-642-04614-8. - 2010, S. 195-208
  Subject heading: Water Industry / Local public utilities / Infrastructure investment / Financing / Private investment in public infrastructure / Border region / International economic relations / United States / Mexico
• Article: Issues of balancing international, environmental and equity needs in a situation of water scarcity / Barbara Schreiner
  In: Policy and strategic behaviour in water resource management. - London [u.a.] : Earthscan, ISBN 978-1-8440-7669-7. - 2009, S. 207-230
  Subject heading: Resource Economics / Water Industry / Management / Water policy / Environmental policy / Water protection / South Africa
• Article: Inclusive water governance: a global necessity: lessons from India / Adita Singh; Chetan B. Singai; Shilipi Srivastava; Sumathi Sivam
  In: Transition studies review. - Wien: Springer, ISSN 1614-4007, ZDB-ID 21299602. - Vol. 16.2009, 2=Nr. 53, S. 598-608
  Subject heading: Water supply / Governance approach / Sustainable development / Society / International organization / India
• Article: Good and bad forms of participation in water management: some lessons from Brazil / Jerson Kelman
  In: Policy and strategic behaviour in water resource management. - London [u.a.] : Earthscan, ISBN 978-1-8440-7669-7. - 2009, S. 189-206
  Subject heading: Resource Economics / Water Industry / Management / Water policy / Water protection / Brazil
• Article: Water management in Spain: an example of changing paradigms / Alberto Garrido and M. Ramón Llamas
  In: Policy and strategic behaviour in water resource management. - London [u.a.]: Earthscan, ISBN 978-1-8440-7669-7. - 2009, S. 125-144
  Subject heading: Resource Economics / Water Industry / Management / Water policy / Environmental policy / Water protection / Spain
• Article: Water management in urbanizing, arid regions: innovative voluntary transactions as a response to competing water claims / Bonnie G. Colby
  In: Policy and strategic behaviour in water resource management - London [u.a.]: Earthscan, ISBN 978-1-8440-7669-7. - 2009, S. 47-65
  Subject heading: Resource Economics / Arid zone / Water Industry / Management / Water policy / Water protection / United States / Arizona
• Title: How China's farmers adapt to climate change / Jinxia Wang; Robert Mendelsohn; Ariel Dinar; Jikun Huang
  Published: Washington, DC: World Bank, Development Research Group, Sustainable Rural and Urban Development Team, Oct. 2008
  Subject heading: Crop production / Irrigation / Climate change / China
  DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4758
• Article: Community tanks vs private wells: coping strategies and sustainability issues in South India / R. Balasubramanian
  In: Promise, trust and evolution. - Oxford [u.a.]: Oxford Univ. Press, ISBN 0-19-921383-6. - 2008, S. 283-304
  Subject heading: Common resources / Raw materials resources / Irrigation / Water law / Sustainable development / Poverty alleviation / Economic development / India
• Article: Climate change and international water: the role of strategic alliances in resource allocation / Ariel Dinar
  In: Policy and strategic behaviour in water resource management. - London [u.a.]: Earthscan, ISBN 978-1-8440-7669-7. - 2009, S. 301-324
  Subject heading: Resource Economics / Water Industry / Management / Water policy / Environmental policy / Water protection / Climate change / Strategic alliance / World
• Article: Private-sector participation in water and sanitation services: the answer to public sector failures? / José Esteban Castro
  In: Global change. - Berlin [u.a.] : Springer, ISBN 978-3-642-04614-8. - 2010, S. 169-193
  Subject heading: Water supply / Water Industry / Waste Water Management / Privatization / Poverty alleviation / Criticism / Developing countries
• Article: Policy and strategy in water resource management: can we do better when both are coordinated? / Ariel Dinar and Jose Albiac
  In: Policy and strategic behaviour in water resource management. - London [u.a.]: Earthscan, ISBN 978-1-8440-7669-7. - 2009, S. 1-9
  Subject heading: Resource Economics / Water Industry / Management / Water policy / Environmental policy / Water protection
• Article: The policy challenge of matching environmental water to ecological need / Terry Hillman
  In: Policy and strategic behaviour in water resource management. - London [u.a.]: Earthscan, ISBN 978-1-8440-7669-7. - 2009, S. 109-124
  Subject heading: Resource Economics / Water Industry / Management / Water policy / Environmental policy / Water protection / Australia
• Article: Water policy in Australia: the impact of change and uncertainty / Lin Crase
  In: Policy and strategic behaviour in water resource management. - London [u.a.]: Earthscan, ISBN 978-1-8440-7669-7. - 2009, S. 91-107
  Subject heading: Resource Economics / Water Industry / Management / Decision under uncertainty / Water policy / Australia
• Title: Water allocation under distribution losses: comparing alternative institutions / U. Chakravorty; C. Umetsu; D. Zilberman; E. Hochman
  Published: 2009
  Subject heading: Water / Water supply / Water Industry / Market power / Vertical integration / Water policy / Theory
  Link: http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/economics2/pdfs/WP2009-08-Chakravorty.pdf
• Article: Integration in the management of international waters: economic perspectives on a global policy discourse / Ines Dombrowsky
  In: Global governance. - Boulder, Colo.: Rienner, ISSN 1075-2846, ZDB-ID 1231139x. - Bd. 14.2008, 4, S. 455-477
  Subject heading: Water policy / Water supply / International cooperation / Integration / Coase Theorem / Resource Economics / World
• Article: Climate change and the stability of water allocation agreements / Erik Ansink; Arjan Ruijs
  In: Environmental & resource economics. - Dordrecht: Springer, ISSN 0924-6460, ZDB-ID 11212585. - Bd. 41.2008, 2, S. 249-266
  Subject heading: Climate change / Game theory / Water supply