Simple Myths and Basic Maths about Greening Irrigation

Arbeitspapier

Greening the economy is mostly about improving water governance and not only about putting the existing resource saving technical alternatives into practice. Focusing on the second and forgetting the first risks finishing with a highly efficient use of water services at the level of each individual user but with an unsustainable amount of water use for the entire economy. This might be happening already in many places with the modernization of irrigated agriculture, the world's largest water user and the one offering the most promising water saving opportunities. In spite of high expectations, modern irrigation techniques seem not to be contributing to reduce water scarcity and increase drought resiliency. In fact, according to the little evidence available, in some areas they are resulting in higher water use. Building on basic economic principles this study aims to show the conditions under which this apparently paradoxical outcome, known as the Jevons' Paradox, might appear. This basic model is expected to serve as guidance for assessing the actual outcomes of increasing irrigation efficiency and to discuss the changes in water governance that would be required for this to make a real contribution to sustainable water management.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: Nota di Lavoro ; No. 8.2015

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Land Ownership and Tenure; Land Reform; Land Use; Irrigation; Agriculture and Environment ; Agricultural Policy; Food Policy ; Renewable Resources and Conservation: Water ; Valuation of Environmental Effects ; Environmental Economics: Government Policy
• Subject: Jevons' Paradox ; Rebound Effect ; Agricultural Economics ; Water Economics ; Irrigation Efficiency

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Gómez, Carlos M. ; Pérez-Blanco, C. Dionisio
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM)
• (where): Milano
• (when): 2015

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/113909
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET