Economics of Water Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin

Economics of Water Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin PDF Author: Quentin Grafton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The paper reviews current water reforms and initiatives in the Murray-Darling Basin from an economic perspective. It argues that while the principles (National Water Initiative) and rules (Water Act 2007) of water reform provide the framework to achieve the goals of reform, the financial incentives (2008 Water for the Future) need to change. In particular, the $3.1 billion allocated to buying water entitlements and the $5.8 billion targeted for water infrastructure subsidies under Water for the Future should be combined and spent on the basis of 'value for money'. If this were accomplished, and the funds were spent prior to the implementation of sustainable diversion limits in July 2011, the Australian Government would be much more likely to achieve a sustainable future for the environment and agriculture within the Basin, at no extra cost.

Economics of Water Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin

Economics of Water Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin PDF Author: Quentin Grafton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The paper reviews current water reforms and initiatives in the Murray-Darling Basin from an economic perspective. It argues that while the principles (National Water Initiative) and rules (Water Act 2007) of water reform provide the framework to achieve the goals of reform, the financial incentives (2008 Water for the Future) need to change. In particular, the $3.1 billion allocated to buying water entitlements and the $5.8 billion targeted for water infrastructure subsidies under Water for the Future should be combined and spent on the basis of 'value for money'. If this were accomplished, and the funds were spent prior to the implementation of sustainable diversion limits in July 2011, the Australian Government would be much more likely to achieve a sustainable future for the environment and agriculture within the Basin, at no extra cost.

Basin Futures

Basin Futures PDF Author: Daniel Connell
Publisher: ANU E Press
ISBN: 1921862254
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 500

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Book Description
This unique book brings together 27 chapters from some of the world's leading practitioners and experts on environmental water, communities, law, economics and governance. Its goal is to understand the many dimensions of water in the Murray-Darling Basin and provide guidance about how to implement a water management plan that addresses the needs of communities, the economy and the environment. The comprehensiveness of topics covered, the expertise of its authors, and the absolute need to take a multidisciplinary approach to resolving the "wicked problem" of governing our scarce water resource makes this volume a must read for all who care about Australian communities and the environment.

Water Policy Reform

Water Policy Reform PDF Author: John Quiggin
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1781000328
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 257

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Book Description
'This book is a must-read for anyone interested in how to ensure sustainability while effectively addressing social and economic issues. The contributors are all well-recognised in their areas of expertise and their chapters are highly informative. The book's focus is on policy reform in the MurrayDarling Basin. It offers a "window to the future" and important insights for other parts of the world that are also facing the dilemma of the overextraction of water and what to do about it. I highly recommend it.' Quentin Grafton, The Australian National University 'Managing the water of the MurrayDarling Basin has emerged as one of the greatest challenges for Australia's scientists, social scientists and policymakers. This book brings together some of Australia's leading economists and social scientists to discuss ideas and solutions for a national problem that is both intriguing and exasperating. Readers will enjoy the candid discussion of both the distant and recent history of this issue, plus the innovative solutions. From a philosophical perspective the reader may wish to muse on the relative merits of different degrees of free market and private property approaches vs top-down control as they pertain to the past, present and future of Australia's largest river basin.' Hugh Possingham, University of Queensland, Australia Agriculture in the MurrayDarling Basin of Australia represents a controversial 'policy experiment' comprising large capital investments, innovation and enterprise across a 100-year period. This book, which contains contributions from some of Australia's foremost economic, social science and public policy researchers and writers, examines the evolution of public policy frameworks that transformed water management from initial exploitation for irrigation as a dominant single use to a dynamic multiple-use resource system. Water Policy Reform provides both analytical insights and examples of successes and failures in developing water policy in a complex and politically-contested environment. As such, this work attempts to develop a comprehensive management plan for the Basin and provides novel and invaluable lessons for an increasingly global problem. This well-researched study will interest both economists and those with public policy interest in academia and the public sector, including development agencies concerned with sustainable water resource management.

Water Allocation in Rivers under Pressure

Water Allocation in Rivers under Pressure PDF Author: Dustin Evan Garrick
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1781003866
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 255

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Book Description
This book compares water allocation policy in three rivers under pressure from demand, droughts and a changing climate: the Colorado, Columbia and MurrayÐDarling. Each river has undergone multiple decades of policy reform at the intersection of water m

Economics of Water Recovery in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Economics of Water Recovery in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia PDF Author: Quentin Grafton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
We review recent water reforms and the consequences of water recovery intended to increase stream flows in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB), Australia. The MDB provides a natural experiment of water recovery for the environment that includes ( a) the voluntary buy-back of water rights from willing sellers and ( b) the subsidization of irrigation infrastructure. We find that ( a) the actual increase in the volumes of water in terms of stream flows is much less than claimed by the Australian government; ( b) subsidies to increase irrigation efficiency have reduced stream and groundwater return flows; ( c) buy-backs are much more cost effective than subsidies; ( d) many of the gains from water recovery have accrued as private benefits to irrigators; and ( e) more than a decade after water recovery began, there is no observable basin-wide relationship between volumes of water recovered and flows at the mouth of the River Murray.

The Australian Water Reform Journey

The Australian Water Reform Journey PDF Author: Jane Doolan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781921543159
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
The Australian Water Partnership is pleased to provide this high-level overview of the Australian water journey. Over the past three decades, this journey transformed water policy, management and institutional arrangements in Australia.Driven by the recognition that water is an economic enabler, our experience has shown that water can be managed sustainably, in a way that increases its economic value while meeting environmental objectives. This paper outlines the drivers for water reform, identifies the key areas transformed and provides some insights on the pathway to implementation.

The Evolution of Markets for Water

The Evolution of Markets for Water PDF Author: Jeff Bennett
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1845426681
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 202

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Book Description
How policymakers are striving to move away from government regulation and achieve a balance between a property rights and a market based approach to the allocation of water resources.

Reforming Water Law and Governance

Reforming Water Law and Governance PDF Author: Cameron Holley
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9811089779
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description
This book identifies the most effective water policy tools and innovations, and the circumstances that foster their successful implementation by taking a comparative look at a world-leading ‘laboratory’ of water law and governance: Australia. In particular, the book analyses Australia’s 20-year experience implementing a hybrid governance system of markets, hierarchical regulation, and collaborative integrated water planning. Australia is acknowledged as a world leader in water governance reform, and an examination of its relatively mature water law and governance system has great significance for many international academics and jurisdictions. This book synthesises practical lessons and theoretical insights from Australia, as well as recommendations from comparative analysis with countries such as the United States to provide useful guidance for policymakers and scholars seeking to apply water instruments in a wide range of policy contexts. The book also advances our understanding of water and broader environmental governance theory and is a valuable reference for scholars, researchers and students working in law, regulation and governance studies – especially in the field of water and environmental law. Chapter “Lessons from Australian water reforms: Indigenous and environmental values in market-based water regulation” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Policy Review of Water Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Policy Review of Water Reform in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia PDF Author: Quentin Grafton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The water reforms undertaken in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia since 2007 have been viewed as a model for other countries seeking to respond to water insecurity. Here, a policy review is provided of this water reform and whether it delivers on key environmental objectives in the 2007 Water Act (the Act). The evaluation includes a review of the 2012 Basin Plan, a key instrument of the Act, and complementary policies associated with the acquisition of water entitlements for the environment via direct (reverse tenders) and indirect (infrastructure subsidies) means. Using the objects of the Act as a benchmark, an evaluation is provided of the following: (i) planned reductions in irrigation water extractions in the 2012 Basin Plan; (ii) risks associated with the 2018 amendments to the Basin Plan that, collectively, allow for an increase in irrigation water extractions of some 22 per cent, relative to the sustainable diversion limits specified in the 2012 Basin Plan; (iii) Basin-scale environmental outcomes achieved, as of the end of 2018; and (iv) economic effects of direct and indirect methods of acquiring water for the environment. Findings from the review generate the “Do's” and “Do Nots” of water reform for Australia, and possibly other countries, when managing the trade-offs between water for irrigation and the environment.

Routledge Handbook of Water Economics and Institutions

Routledge Handbook of Water Economics and Institutions PDF Author: Kimberly Burnett
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317916255
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 427

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Book Description
Growing scarcity of freshwater worldwide brings to light the need for sound water resource modeling and policy analysis. While a solid foundation has been established for many specific water management problems, combining those methods and principles in a unified framework remains an ongoing challenge. This Handbook aims to expand the scope of efficient water use to include allocation of sources and quantities across uses and time, as well as integrating demand-management with supply-side substitutes. Socially efficient water use does not generally coincide with private decisions in the real world, however. Examples of mechanisms designed to incentivize efficient behavior are drawn from agricultural water use, municipal water regulation, and externalities linked to water resources. Water management is further complicated when information is costly and/or imperfect. Standard optimization frameworks are extended to allow for coordination costs, games and cooperation, and risk allocation. When operating efficiently, water markets are often viewed as a desirable means of allocation because a market price incentivizes users to move resources from low to high value activities. However, early attempts at water trading have run into many obstacles. Case studies from the United States, Australia, Europe, and Canada highlight the successes and remaining challenges of establishing efficient water markets.