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Groundwater is being depleted on a large scale in many arid and semi-arid parts of the world. It is often said that this precious resource is being wasted at the expense of future generations. But should ground-water depletion be avoided at any price? Or is depletion desirable in certain circumstances? If there is to be a reduction in groundwater depletion, how can it be achieved? And how can limited water resources be allocated to their most valuable uses? The author addresses these issues by undertaking an economic analysis, and considers the political and hydrological aspects of water management. Various methods of assessing the economic value of water are presented, a hydroeconomic model is developed to enable the economic value of groundwater stocks in differrent circumstances to be estimated, and a framework for the analysis of agricultural-urban water transfers is introduced. Eight types of groundwater management policy instruments are discussed on the basis of both theory and international experience.
Part I Groundwater management - theory and international experience: is water substitutable?; measuring the value of water; policy objectives of groundwater management; policy instruments for groundwater management and criteria for their assessment; municipal water tariffs; groundwater property rights; tradable groundwater property rights; groundwater charges; energy prices - removal of subsidies and taxation; agricultural import liberalization; direct regulation; subsidies for environmental improvement; comparative assessment of policy instruments for groundwater management. Part II Groundwater management in Jordan: Jordan - the setting; water balance; policy-making in the water sector; water supply management - expensive visions; intertemporal allocation of groundwater in Jordan; intersectoral allocation; present groundwater management instruments in Jordan; new groundwater management instruments.
