Record Details

The Value of Water: Economics of Water for a Sustainable Use

The Economic and Social Review

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Title The Value of Water: Economics of Water for a Sustainable Use
 
Creator Chebly, Juan E.
 
Subject water; economics of water; sustainability
 
Description The following work deals with a very controversial but nevertheless very important topic in the sustainable management of water as a natural resource: the value of water and the macroeconomics of water. Population growth, increasing demand, climate change and declining water supplies present a short- and medium-term outlook where water stress and shortages may keep arising. Water stress is a situation that arises “… when water demand is more important than the amount available for a specified period or when it is restricted by its low quality.” This  in turn “… causes deterioration of resources fresh water in terms of quantity (aquifer overexploited, dry rivers, etc.) and quality (eutrophication, organic matter pollution, saline intrusion, etc.).” (UNEP, 2012) If global patterns continue, we can see that we are headed into an increasingly complex landscape where water mismanagement increasingly compromises water availability. Added to this we have the phenomenon of climate change, which is already having an impact on water systems and cycles globally. This is why we must change the ethnocentric approach of our current development model, where resources are exploited without regard for the future. This analysis will use another approach based on sustainable development, and will go beyond ideological approaches and economic or political agendas, to treat water management and the macroeconomics of water pragmatically. Life on the planet depends on our success to manage our water resources in an efficient, responsible and fair manner; this paper provides the general guidelines and practical recommendations to do so.
 
Publisher The Economic and Social Review
 
Contributor
 
Date 2014-06-27
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Peer-reviewed Article
 
Format application/pdf
 
Identifier http://www.esr.ie/article/view/137
 
Source The Economic and Social Review; Vol 45, No 2, Summer (2014): Special Issue on Sustainable Development Solutions; 207–222
0012-9984
 
Language eng
 
Relation http://www.esr.ie/article/view/137/83
 
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