The calculation of irrigation potential; The demand for water; The supply of water; The economics of water storage; Analysing the economic structure of a river basin; Assessing production potential and social returns; The economics of smallholder irrigation; Irrigation and integrated rural development; Economics and technology.

As globalization links economies, the value of a country's irrigation water becomes increasingly sensitive to competitive forces in world markets. Water policy at the national and regional levels will need to accommodate these forces or water is likely to become undervalued. The inefficient use of this resource will lessen a country's comparative advantage in world markets and slow its transition to higher incomes, particularly in rural households. While professionals widely agree on what constitutes sound water resource management, they have not yet reached a consensus on the best ways of implementing policies. Policymakers have considered pricing water - a debated intervention - in many variations. Setting the price 'right,' some say, may guide different types of users in efficient water use by sending a signal about the value of this resource. Aside from efficiency, itself an important policy objective, equity, accessibility, and implementation costs associated with the right pricing must be considered. Focusing on the examples of China, Mexico, Morocco, South Africa, and Turkey, Pricing Irrigation Water provides a clear methodology for studying farm-level demand for irrigation water. This book is the first to link the macroeconomics of policies affecting trade to the microeconomics of water demand for irrigation and, in the case of Morocco, to link these forces to the creation of a water user-rights market. This type of market reform, the contributors argue, will result in growing economic benefits to both rural and urban households.

Many people still think first of economic growth in relation to poverty reduction. Indeed, their correlation is one of the most-discussed issues of combating poverty. The relationship is of great importance because if there is a clear causal dependency, reducing poverty could fundamentally be limited to measures to promote growth. However, if there was low growth or stagnation it would not be possible to reduce poverty decisively. In the opposite case, that of the phenomena having no causal relation, promising measures to reduce poverty could be taken up even without economic growth.

A dozen papers from an August 1989 international conference near Zurich explore the role of governments in improving the agriculture of developing countries, and how that affects overall industrial development. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This book examines the potentials and limitations of user fees for financing irrigation operation and maintenance.

Water resources exploitation has been regarded as a way of initiating economic development in many countries. Planning concepts are now changing. Thorough environmental studies, sociological and economic studies now preceed project formulation. Justification solely on the basis of benefit cost studies is no longer sufficient for many development agencies. The broader approach is introduced in this book, but the real emphasis is on the situation in and needs of developing countries.Some of the problems experienced in building water resources in developing countries are described in this book, and methods of solution based on the limited experience of the authors, are offered. These range from use of unbiased common sense, coupled with a close understanding of people's requirements, to a comprehensive computer simulated planning model. Some types of water resources development are described in more detail. These include irrigation, hydro electric power and rural water supply. Sections on socio-economics and human resource development are also included, as well as on data collection, and project planning. Lessons from the failure of multimillion dollar projects are not hard to come by, and examples and pointers which will assist future planners are given. Attention is paid to the need for aid to include training and to stimulate local economies. However big water projects appear, they cannot escape the effects of the rest of the country's economy. Attention is also drawn to environmental problems, particularly soil erosion, often caused by water resources development. The fact that water resources development cannot be carried out by engineers only, is recognized. The input of many professions, and vast experience, is needed. Drawn on international case studies, much of the material has been presented in postgraduate courses by the authors.

In the book's four Parts, the interdisciplinary approach to many issues contributes to the relationship between water and poverty. Part I includes articles on the conceptual and methodological issues concerning poverty reduction through water resources development. It also offers analysis of quantitative measurements of poverty reduction, including some approaches for creating a Water Poverty Index. Part II considers the institutional frameworks for management of water and poverty reduction. Topics range from community-based decision making to international leadership. Part III encompasses discussions on participatory irrigation management and the privatization of urban water supplies and sewerage and the link to poverty. Case studies from India, Turkey, and Jordan make up Part IV. The studies present diverse water management and development practices for poverty reduction, including realistic pricing and effective irrigation practices, the use of water as an engine for sustainable development, small and large scale strategies for reducing the risks and uncertainties in water availability and food security, the economic value of improved water supplies, and the positive impact of small-scale development projects.

The increasing scarcity of water resources (in terms of quantity and quality) is one of the most pervasive natural resource allocation issues facing development planners throughout the world. This problem is especially prevalent in less developed countrie

The tropics. Soils. Agricultural enemies. Agriculture research. Minerals. Health hazards. Health research.