Water Rights Research Articles

Water Footprint and Water Sustainability of Agroindustrial Avocado Production in a Warm Tropical Climate Municipality: A Case Study in the Michoacan Avocado Belt in Central México

Water is a fundamental resource for ecosystems, humans, and the development of all economic sectors; it is necessary to identify and evaluate its environmental pressures and impacts. The water footprint (WF) is an appropriate indicator for the consumption of water used to produce a product. The present study uses this tool to evaluate the green and blue water requirements and the sustainability of irrigation water use for agroindustrial avocado production in Ziracuaretiro, Michoacán (2012–2021). Our analysis was based on aggregating weather and soil data at the municipal level and official government databases of avocado cultivated surface, fruit production, and water rights concessions. The analysis considers the homogeneity of information throughout the study area. We estimated that rainfed plantations require 839.03 m3/ton, and irrigated plantations require 2355.80 m3/ton, with an average of 1597.47 m3/ton. In addition, we determined that avocado cultivation can demand up to 124.3% of agricultural water concessions in this municipality. Moreover, the WF estimates and the analysis indicate that such studies are fundamental for decision-makers to develop and implement water use efficiency strategies and shows the need for further research related to the water consumption of avocado as a crop at more detailed scales.

A practical and efficient approach to evaluating the irrigation water supply from electricity consumption: A case study in Siyang County, China

AbstractTo facilitate agricultural water rights trading reform in China and improve the efficiency of agricultural irrigation, an effective and practical approach called the conversion coefficient from electricity consumption to irrigation water supply (CCECIWS) method is introduced in this study. Application of this method in Siyang County is meticulously investigated. First, four measurement strategies are employed for the precise estimation of the volume of irrigation water from agricultural irrigation water pumps (AIWPs) in Siyang County. Then, the CCECIWS data collected through on‐site testing and the distribution pattern of the CCECIWSs of AIWPs are analysed, and the ranges of the CCECIWS values for different groups are delineated. Conjoint analysis is conducted to quantify the influence of two factors on the CCECIWSs. Finally, three regression models are developed and validated to predict the CCECIWSs for the remaining 60% of the total AIWPs, which are not tested on site. The prediction results show that the regression models have acceptable accuracy. The contribution of this research is the provision of a practical and efficient CCECIWS method to indirectly evaluate the irrigation water supply, saving both time and economic costs and laying the foundation for future research on this topic.

The Types of Water Conflicts in an Irrigation System in Northern Mexico: Conflict as a Negative Link in Social Network Analysis

We used social network analysis (SNA) to identify the types of water-related conflicts between the users and members of the institutional arena of the Rio Mayo Irrigation District (RMID) within the ancestral territory of the Yoreme Mayo indigenous group in Sonora, northeastern Mexico. We combined ethnography with an analysis and visualization of bimodal networks that consisted of 118 users and their connections to the institutional arena’s 30 identified social actors who influence water management. Using a clustering algorithm, we identified four types of conflicts: (1) disputes between small- and large-scale farmers over (i) irrigation water and (ii) payments for water rights and land rental; (2) the struggle by large-scale farmers against the upper level of the water hierarchy, to obtain more water; (3) struggles by rural indigenous women against water providers, to conserve indigenous vernacular systems of managing water for domestic use; and (4) a “conflict” that turned out to be merely a structural remnant of the algorithm. We conclude that land- and water-grabbing in the RMID mainly affect indigenous small-scale farmers and that the combination of SNA and a clustering algorithm can identify the types of natural resource-related conflicts that might go undetected by other methodologies. However, SNA should in some cases be accompanied by a qualitative methodology.

Harmonized Database of Western U.S. Water Rights (HarDWR) v.1

In the arid and semi-arid Western U.S., access to water is regulated through a legal system of water rights. Individuals, companies, organizations, municipalities, and tribal entities have documents that declare their water rights. State water regulatory agencies collate and maintain these records, which can be used in legal disputes over access to water. While these records are publicly available data in all Western U.S. states, the data have not yet been readily available in digital form from all states. Furthermore, there are many differences in data format, terminology, and definitions between state water regulatory agencies. Here, we have collected water rights data from 11 Western U.S. state agencies, harmonized terminology and use definitions, formatted them for consistency, and tied them to a Western U.S.-wide shapefile of water administrative boundaries.

Long-Term Impacts of Glacier Retreat on Downstream Water Availability in Ethiopia

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine Long-Term Impacts of Glacier Retreat on Downstream Water Availability in Ethiopia. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: The study revealed that as glaciers continue to shrink due to climate change, the hydrological systems in mountainous regions of Ethiopia, such as the Simien Mountains and Bale Mountains, face disruptions in water supply, affecting both local communities and downstream users. The reduction in glacial meltwater contributes to decreased streamflow, altered river regimes, and increased variability in water availability, exacerbating water stress in a country already prone to droughts and water scarcity. Moreover, glacier retreat affects ecosystems, biodiversity, and livelihoods dependent on freshwater resources, further amplifying socio-economic vulnerabilities in the region. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Climate Change Theory, Hydrological Cycle Theory & Systems Theory may be used to anchor future studies on Long-Term Impacts of Glacier Retreat on Downstream Water Availability in Ethiopia. Implement cutting-edge technologies for real-time monitoring of glacier melt and downstream water flow. Use satellite imagery, remote sensing, and IoT sensors to gather data that can inform water management practices in real time. Develop and enforce policies that ensure sustainable water use and prioritize the maintenance of water quality and ecosystem health. This includes setting limits on water withdrawals based on sustainability criteria and enhancing the legal frameworks protecting water rights.

‘Water for all’: The unlikely confluence of divergent interests (in resisting neoliberalism and promoting human rights) in Mumbai’s slums

Despite pressure from international donors and the national government, neoliberal policies have not had a transformational impact on the way water is provided in Mumbai. Some modest reforms were introduced but these have not led to major change. Moreover, in 2022 the city introduced a policy of ‘Water for All’ to extend water access to slum areas. At first sight this system might seem to be a socially progressive approach to water management, which might be surprising given the right-wing orientation of Shiv Sena, the political party which has been in power since the 1990s. But this paper shows that policy has been shaped by an unlikely alignment of diverse interests. Campaigners have been resisting neoliberal policies and demanding fair water rights for slum dwellers for years. But these demands gained policy traction when they overlapped with the interests of the engineers who manage the complex water system, as well as the political regime. For decades, slum households have been scapegoated and water access was deemed illegal for millions of the city’s poorest residents. But the political climate has recently shifted such that it now suits the ruling party to expand water access, although restrictions remain. This paper shows how global paradigms intersect with embedded structures, politics and institutions to create contextually specific outcomes. Drawing on Brenner and Theodore (2002), we argue that the same context that generated Mumbai’s form of ‘actually existing’ neoliberalism has also created a distinctive, ‘actually existing’, interpretation of the human right to water.

Energy extractivism and water dispossession by contamination: an essay of fracking in mexican legal order

The article analyzes the extraction of hydrocarbons through fracking in Mexico. Energy extractivism is discussed as the hegemonic model of production and consumption of fossil fuels and, in particular, as a neoliberal prototype of energy management. The water-energy relationship is examined from a critical perspective, highlighting the granting of water rights for the stimulation of unconventional reservoirs. It is documented that the explicit regulation of fracking intervened in the allocation of hydraulic uses and the order of priority of uses. In any case, these issues sharpen competition for water on lands of collective social property. It is concluded that fracking constitutes a mechanism of water dispossession by contamination.

Incentive for farmers to save water by confirming the rights to agricultural water in the Yellow River Basin

Context Explore the incentive for farmers to save water by confirming the rights of agricultural water in the Yellow River Basin. Aims To explore the incentives of water-rights confirmation in agriculture and its transmission mechanism for water conservation among farmers and explore the incentive measures for farmers to save water. Methods Quantitative research method. Key results Water-rights confirmation in agriculture influences farmers’ willingness to conserve water and the amount of investment in water conservation through security effects, credit effects and transaction effects. Conclusions The deepening of agricultural water ownership will increase farmers’ willingness to save water and their investment amount. Implications Clarify the transmission mechanism of agricultural water rights for farmers’ water saving.

Local Government Empowerment and Collaborative Approaches in the Electricity Sector: A Constitutional Analysis

This article explores the constitutional provisions and legislative aspects governing the role of local governments in generating and distributing electricity in South Africa. It encompasses the constitutional framework, which grants municipalities specific powers and responsibilities, highlighting the significance of these "original powers" derived directly from the Constitution. The article emphasises the need for intergovernmental cooperation at national, provincial, and local government levels to effectively address the complexities of electricity provision, taking into account related services such as water, sanitation, and environmental rights. The article further assesses recent amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act 4 of 2006, which grant municipalities greater involvement in electricity generation and procurement from independent power producers. While these amendments are seen as positive, the article highlights the need for financial resources and technical capacity building to empower municipalities to undertake these new responsibilities effectively. Ultimately, it emphasises the critical role of local governments in ensuring a sustainable and reliable supply of electricity for their communities while calling for comprehensive support from higher government levels to realise this goal.

A system dynamics approach for sustainable groundwater management considering climate change, inter-organizational relationships, and domestic water saving

This article uses system dynamic modeling to examine the relationship between water allocation from the Ilam dam and groundwater fluctuation, as well as the effects of climate change, changes in inter-organizational relationships, and water demand management on water allocation and groundwater level fluctuations. The results showed that agricultural water allocation has a direct effect on groundwater level fluctuations. In the first scenario, which examined the effects of climate change, the comparison of three climate change scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585) was carried out. The results illustrated that with temperature increasing and precipitation decreasing occurred in SSP585, the groundwater drawdown increases about 0.8 m more than SSP126. The second scenario examined the effects of changes in inter-organizational relationships. Based on the results of centrality measures in the social network analysis method, it was found that the organizational power of the stakeholder organization in the agriculture sector is greater than the ones in the environment sector. This causes the allocation to the agriculture sector to be prioritized over the environment. This scenario was analyzed by assuming a change in organizational power and giving priority to the water allocation of the environmental sector. The results showed that environmental needs (maximum 0.3 MCM) were almost entirely met in the second scenario, compared to the basic scenario. Also, the decrease in agricultural water allocation has led to an increase in groundwater usage by farmers, resulting in a 20 cm drop in groundwater levels. Therefore, regarding the sustainable management of water resources, directing attention towards alternative livelihoods for farmers can contribute to environmental water rights and the remediation of aquifers. The third scenario examined the effects of water demand management. The results showed that saving 20–25% of water in the domestic sector can reduce 40–50 cm maximum groundwater drawdown which align with sustainable groundwater management.

Water Banking as a Strategy for the Management and Conservation of a Critical Resource: A Case Study from Tunisia’s Medjerda River Basin (MRB)

The increasingly adverse impacts of climate change (e.g., rainfall patterns, droughts, and floods), coupled with the ever-increasing water demands, are often translated into a contingent liability for water users’ communities. Additional complexities arise due to competing priorities, water rights, and transboundary water sources. Therefore, conventional water management practices should shift toward more comprehensive and responsive integrative approaches, even for systems with limited data. Furthermore, water managers must prioritize dynamic and interactive management techniques for existing systems. One such management technique is water banking, which is the focus of this study. Herein, a dynamic interactive water allocation model, which encompasses the water managers and heterogeneous parties with competing demands, is developed. The voluntary sales of water shares between parties are illustrated through the specific case of the Medjerda River in Tunisia, an excellent example of a transboundary basin with limited hydrologic data and conflicting water use requirements between its upstream and downstream sectors. A set of scenarios is developed for the first analysis with this model: two management scenarios that include the no-water trade and the water banking option; three demand scenarios that include a combination of steady-, low-, and high-water demand conditions; and two hydrologic scenarios that include dry and wet conditions. Based on an economic model, the economic impacts of water banking are calculated using estimates of the costs of water shortages brought to users that illustrate the magnitude. The results show that the water banking technique can improve water resource availability by optimizing the management, operation, and conservation of natural and artificial water storage systems and water distribution infrastructure. Specifically, water banking can offset users’ profit losses during severe conditions (i.e., drought), even with limited hydrologic data. This water management technique would allow the Tunisian government to minimize the economic impacts on farmers from drought and to plan for future uncertainties by optimizing the water storage potential in years of abundant rainfall.

Factors affecting the profitability of wheat production in the states of Guanajuato and Nuevo Leon, Mexico

The objective of this research was the analysis of the main factors involved in the profitability of bread wheat in the states of Guanajuato and Nuevo León, Mexico. To obtain the information, semi-structured interviews were applied to key informants who indicated the context of the crop in their region. In order to estimate profitability, production performance and costs production were determined. The production cost information, for the two Mexican states, was obtained through the producer panels methodology in 2019. Producers were asked about the costs expended in land preparation, cultivation inputs, harvest and others such as water, electricity and financial rights. In addition, wheat yields and the price received per ton sold at the market. It was noticed that Nuevo León and Guanajuato have an agro-industrial infrastructure that demands Mexican wheat. In each state, the profitability of the crop depends on a number of factors such as the planting system and the production technology used; but in all the places studied, bread wheat had positive profitability. However, there are high production costs and a continuous deterioration of the real prices of the product. It is necessary to develop soft wheat varieties that adapt to rainfall conditions for agricultural regions where wheat cultivation is under those conditions. Although Mexico is self-sufficient in the production of flour, each year it is necessary to import an additional volume of bread-making wheat since Mexican industry is deficient facing the high demand for bread production.

Water markets and water inequality: China's water rights trading pilot

Water inequality could exacerbate global water scarcity due to the finite nature of water resources. Water markets aimed at overcoming failures in public water distribution systems may offer potential solutions to water inequality. However, existing studies failed to explain how water markets and water inequality are related. This study constructs a water inequality-water market conceptual framework to fill this gap. It examines the influence of water markets on water inequality in the context of China's Water Rights Trading Pilot. This study argues that water markets based on economic rationality can mitigate water inequality compared to command-and-control water policies. In addition, the mitigating effect of water markets on water inequality relies on changing the industrial structure, promoting technological innovation in irrigation, and improving recycled water use. Finally, the influence of water markets on water inequality tends to be heterogeneous depending on differences in economic development, precipitation, and water demand.

Using Financial Contracts to Facilitate Informal Leases Within a Western United States Water Market Based on Prior Appropriation

AbstractThe ability to reallocate water to higher‐value uses during drought is an increasingly important “soft‐path” tool for managing water resources in an uncertain future. In most of the Western United States, state‐level water market institutions that enable reallocation also impose substantial transaction costs on market participants related to regulatory approval and litigation. These transaction costs can be prohibitive for many participants in terms of both costs and lengthy approval periods, limiting transfers and reducing allocation efficiency, particularly during drought crises periods. This manuscript describes a mechanism to reduce transaction costs by adapting an existing form of informal leases to facilitate quicker and less expensive transfers among market participants. Instead of navigating the formal approval process to lease a water right, informal leases are financial contracts for conservation that enable more junior holders of existing rights to divert water during drought, thereby allowing the formal transfer approval process to be bypassed. The informal leasing approach is tested in the Upper Colorado River Basin, where drought and institutional barriers to transfers lead to frequent shortages for urban rights holders along Colorado's Front Range. Informal leases are facilitated via option contracts that include adaptive triggers and that define volumes of additional, compensatory, releases designed to mitigate impacts to instream flows and third parties. Results suggest that more rapid reallocation of water via informal leases could have resulted in up to $222 million in additional benefits for urban rights holders during the historical period 1950–2013.

Multi-Dimensional Collaborative Optimization Model for Agricultural Water Rights Based on Water Price Reform under Changing Environment

Agricultural water rights trading has become an effective means to solve the shortage of agricultural water. However, in the context of uncertainty, the key elements of the water rights trading system and their interactions remain unclear. Therefore, this study constructs a multi-dimensional collaborative optimization model for agricultural water rights based on water price reform under a changing environment. The model quantitatively characterizes the synergistic effects of resource, economic, social, environmental, and ecological objectives on initial water rights allocation and trading. At the same time, the model uses a system dynamics model and intuitionistic fuzzy number to reflect the impact of a changing environment and uncertainty of the management system on water rights allocation and trading. The results show that through water rights trading, the overall coordinated development of farms has been improved, and the economic benefits and water resources utilization efficiency have been improved.

Determinants of Farmers’ Acceptance of the Volumetric Pricing Policy for Irrigation Water: An Empirical Study from China

Volumetric-based pricing for irrigation water was introduced as part of a comprehensive reform of agricultural water prices in China. However, operational deficiencies and farmers’ lack of willingness to adopt the volumetric pricing policy (VPP) hinder the coordinated implementation of the reform. To address these practical challenges, we employed a binary logistic regression model to analyse farmers’ acceptance of the VPP for agricultural irrigation water usage in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province. A variable set was formed by selecting potential variables from four types of influencing factors: the subject (water users), the object (water supply departments), natural condition factors, and social condition factors. Our results revealed seven factors that determine whether farmers accept the VPP: irrigation water measurement at the water inlet of a lateral canal, the irrigation water-saving rewards scale, enforcement efforts of charging by volume, the irrigation water source type, the use of agricultural water-saving for trade, financial investment in water-saving technology, and the level of irrigation water pricing. We determined the degree of influence of the seven determining factors, among which the irrigation water-saving rewards scale and enforcement efforts of charging by volume most influence farmers’ decisions on the VPP for irrigation water. The results of this study can be used as a reference for innovation of the agricultural water-saving system in Suqian City, optimisation of an accurate fiscal subsidy scale, quantification of irrigation water rights, optimisation of the measurement facility layout, and effective implementation of agricultural water rights trading. More broadly, this study provides a valuable reference for solving the difficulties faced in the comprehensive reform of agricultural water pricing in China, which includes irrigation water pricing mechanisms, management systems, subsidy mechanisms, and water-saving incentive measures.

A Trustworthy and Responsible Decision-Making Framework for Resource Management in Food-Energy-Water Nexus: A Control-Theoretical Approach

This paper introduces a hybrid framework for trustworthy and responsible natural resource management, aimed at building bottom-up trust to enhance cooperation among decision makers in the Food, Energy, and Water sectors. Cooperation is highly critical for the adoption and application of resource management alternatives (solutions), including those generated by AI-based recommender systems, in communities due to significant impact of these sectors on the environment and the economic productivity of affected communities. While algorithms can recommend solutions, effectively communicating and gaining community acceptance of these solutions is crucial. Our research stands out by emphasizing the collaboration between humans and machines, which is essential for addressing broader challenges related to climate change and the need for expert trade-off handling in the management of natural resources. To support future decision-making, we propose a successful control-theory model based on previous decision-making and actor behavior. We utilize control theory to depict how community decisions can be affected by how much individuals trust and accept proposed solutions on irrigation water rights and crop operations in an iterative and interactive decision support environment. This model interacts with stakeholders to collect their feedback on the acceptability of solutions, while also examining the influence of consensus levels, trust sensitivities, and the number of decision-making rounds on the acceptance of proposed solutions. Furthermore, we investigate a system of multiple decision-making and explore the impact of learning actors who adjust their trust sensitivities based on solution acceptance and the number of decision-making rounds. Additionally, our approach can be employed to evaluate and refine potential policy modifications. Although we assess potential outcomes using hypothetical actions by individuals, it is essential to emphasize our primary objective of developing a tool that accurately captures real human behavior and fosters improved collaboration in community decision-making. Ultimately, our aim is to enhance the harmony between AI-based recommender systems and human values, promoting a deeper understanding and integration between the two.

Does the Water Rights Trading Policy Improve Water-Use Efficiency? An Environmental Policy Evaluation from China

As a crucial basic natural resource, water resources are the cornerstone for sustainable national economic development. This paper takes the 2014 pilot water rights trading policy (WRT) as an entry point and uses a difference-in-differences (DID) model to test the policy effect of WRT on water-use efficiency (WUE) based on panel data for 30 Chinese provinces from 2005 to 2021. The study shows that WRT can significantly improve the regional WUE, and these results remain valid after a series of robustness tests, such as the parallel trend test, placebo test, and PSM-DID. Mechanistic analysis revealed that WRT can produce the Porter effect, which affects the WUE through technological innovation. The results of the heterogeneity analysis based on the synthetic control method (SCM) showed that WRT effectively improved WUE in Jiangxi, Henan, Ningxia, Hubei, and Guangdong, but did not achieve the expected effect in Inner Mongolia or Gansu. This paper provides solid empirical support for assessing the effectiveness of WRT and accelerating the process of establishing a unified national WRT market in China by 2025.

Gender inequality, water rights and policy implications: learning from the experience of experts working in water sector

Gender inequality, water rights and policy implications: learning from the experience of experts working in water sector

Moving Water

Climate change-induced megadrought and rapid urbanization are forcing western agriculture into retreat as water supplies diminish and heat and drought ravage crops and livestock. At the same time, the megadrought is imposing deep ecological harm on riparian areas, fish species, and soil and increasing the concentration of pollutants in dwindling waterways. These developments raise the question of how to use the water rights left behind as western irrigated agriculture in-evitably shrinks. We argue that federal purchase of some of these rights could create a pool of water available for instream flows (also termed environmental flows) to preserve waterways and aquatic eco-systems. We propose that the federal government acquire some west-ern water rights from agricultural holders, just as it has acquired homes in residential “managed retreat” programs, and dedicate those rights to instream flows. This proposal is novel in agricultural policy, which has stubbornly subsidized agriculture in place, and in the schol-arship on government managed retreat from climate change, which has focused on retreating people and land, not rights in natural re-sources. Federal government managed retreat of western water rights reasserts a federal role in western water allocation, a feature we con-tend accords with current needs as well as history. The allocation of western water and the system of state and private water ownership are largely the result of the post-Civil War response to illegal gold and silver mining thought necessary to encourage western settlement. These policies no longer respond to the modern urbanized West and its present environmental challenges. Drought retreat presents an oppor-tunity for the federal government to move toward a more balanced al-location of western water and create durable environmental benefits.