Economic valuation of water resources in agriculture From the sectoral to a functional perspective of natural resource management
Langue : Anglais
Agriculture has, arguably, been very successful at capturing the major
share of the world’s exploitable water resources. However, the
environmental and socio-economic rationale for this capture by the sector
is now being questioned. This review presents a framework and a suite of
techniques for analysing these issues and making the rationale explicit
and transparent. It is not a field manual but rather an 'advocacy' brief.
It sets out to bring together economic and ecological evidence and
argumentation in support of the need to challenge and change the
fundamentals of the prevailing technocentric view of water resources
exploitation. A new and more suitable approach to water resources
allocation is necessary if the world’s population is to be adequately fed,
without further degradation and destruction of the planet’s critical
ecosystem services. Water productivity needs to be enhanced considerably,
and economic cost-benefit analysis and pricing regimes can play a
significant role in such a process. However, these economic measures will
not be sufficient on their own. They will need to be buttressed by
technological innovation and institutional changes in order to encourage a
more equitable distribution of resources and to mitigate potential
international conflicts across 'shared' water basins. Water has unique
characteristics that determine both its allocation and use as a resource
by agriculture. Agricultural use of water for irrigation is itself
contingent on land resources. An overview of economic characteristics of
water and their implications is presented below. The case for improved
allocation of water to the agriculture sector and improved allocation
within the agriculture sector is then presented. In a situation of growing
water scarcity and rising demands for non-agricultural (household and
industrial) use of water, reassessment of sectoral allocations of water
are inevitable. In developing countries, irrigated agriculture plays a
vital role in contributing towards domestic food security and poverty
alleviation. Therefore, achievement of these objectives is dependent on
adequate allocations of water to agriculture.
Date de parution : 06-2004
Thèmes d’Economic valuation of water resources in agriculture :
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