Abstract
Water allocation based on multiple criteria has the potential to maximize the total benefits to be gained from the use of a single unit of water. However most of the multi-criteria methods inherently include a considerable degree of subjectivity. In this study, we have attempted to reduce the subjectivity factor from water allocation decision-making process by introducing a conjoint analysis method. Opinions on the importance of a number of water allocation criteria were sought from a large number of irrigation farmers. The opinion survey data were then analyzed using the traditional conjoint analysis method which is widely used to analyze marketing surveys. The analysis allowed objective determination of the relative importance of five water allocation criteria (i.e. net farm income, percent of family working on the farm, amount paid to irrigation agency for canal water share). Each water allocation criteria was divided into three levels and utility values for each criteria level were estimated from the farmers’ preferences on five water allocation criteria (attributes). The conjoint survey results revealed that the respondents prefer that “annual net farm income” be the most important attribute in water allocation decisions. As would be expected the vast majority of the respondents overwhelmingly placed the “water price” in the last position.
Highlights
Today because of changing climate, high population pressures, water scarcity and increased awareness of the long term implications of excessive use of water every effort should be made to use this resource optimally to enable more production from less water [1]
The analysis allowed objective determination of the relative importance of five water allocation criteria
This paper focuses on the process of estimation of relativeness among the important water allocation criteria
Summary
Today because of changing climate, high population pressures, water scarcity and increased awareness of the long term implications of excessive use of water every effort should be made to use this resource optimally to enable more production from less water [1]. It is essential to know what factors or criteria the farmers consider should influence water allocation decisions so that an equitable and efficient system can be developed to improve productivity from the scarce water resource. CORDERY for establishing the relative importance of different attributes (in conjoint analysis, criteria/factors are called attributes) in the provision of a service [4]. It has its origins in market research where it has been used to establish what attributes influence the demand for different commodities, and thereby what combinations of such attributes will maximize the benefits of a service. Results are presented and discussed, and conclusions are drawn concerning the relative importance of water allocation attributes
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