Economic Value Of Water

Economic value of water

A Multi-Criteria Analysis approach

Introduction

Water is an essential resource that has a multiplicity of use in domestic, Industrial, agricultural, hydropower generation, mining, environmental etc activities but the present unsustainable use and mismanagement in the Kafue Basin of Zambia has put pressure on the resource and conflicts among stakeholders have emerged due to the diminishing quality and quantity of the water from the main source- the Kafue River.

The current trends in the appropriation of water resources of the Kafue flats for human use, and particularly for irrigated agriculture are not sustainable. The water uses have risen due to low taxes and heavy subsidies on water by the Government of the republic of Zambia. Compounded to this problem, are the issues of water scarcity, pollution, conflicts and overdrawn aquifers. The knowledge available on the water demands clearly indicates the necessity for the establishment and implementation of effective legislation, which devises optimal water distribution and utilization in order to achieve socioeconomic development in a harmonious way.

Therefore, conceptually correct and empirically accurate estimates of the economic value of water are central to rational allocation of scarce water across locations, uses, users, and time periods. This kind of information would enable the institutions responsible for the management of the water resources to effectively plan for a coordinated and sustainable water management in conformity with the national development plans.

Study Area

The Kafue basin has a total catchment of 154000 km2 which is nearly one fifth of the total area of the Country. The Kafue River extends for 1,577 kilometers, rising from the northwestern and Copperbelt provinces of Zambia near the border with Zaire to the Zambezi River. On its way southward the river passes through the Lukanga Swamps and then curves eastward at Itezhi-tezhi to enter the Kafue Flats. In Zambia 90% of all economic activities takes place in the Kafue basin and is home to the mines, petroleum refineries, fertilizers manufacturers, hydropower generation, agriculture etc and over 50% of the 10.4 million population reside in the major cities in the Kafue basin with their sole water supplies coming from the Kafue river and its small tributaries. (CSO, 2003).

Importance

The fact that market based valuation would provide a basis for policy makers to decide on rules on how best to govern the water resources in the basin, these rules usually exclude social ones thereby fail to meet the desired outcomes. The concept of value ought to take into account both economic and social concerns so that the society as a whole and their environment are in a balanced state of equilibrium. Therefore to adequately reflect the true value of the water resource, the valuation should also define the relationship between society and nature and how the interface between society and the ecosystems has evolved over a period of time.

Total economic value TEV of water is therefore an extended concept that would account from the perspective of both the private and social concerns. The willingness to pay (WTP) measures what a consumer is willing to pay for a resource in a market but would not be applicable in certain societies where different mechanisms such as barter, kinship, reciprocity etc coordinate the exchange of goods. Therefore it is crucial to include both the socio-economic and natural scientific aspects in the TEV of the water resource. The essence of socio-economic valuation is to determine how society is affected by the many functions that are derived from such resources. (Gatzweiler, 2003)

Thus:

TEV = (DUV)pr + (DUV)so + (IUV)pr + (IUV)so + (OV)pr + (OV)so+ (BV)pr + (BV)so + (XV)pr + (XV)so

Where;

DUV = Direct Use value BV = Bequest value OV = Option value

IUV = Indirect use value XV = Existence value

so = social pr = private

Therefore the multiple goods and services generated by the water resources, together with the socially equitable distribution of welfare gains and losses are inherent in the usage. However, it should also be recognized that, the social welfare account includes not only economic welfare stocks and flows but also changes in properties, such as sense of identity, cultural and historical significance of the water resources components. The value data compiled in this context, vis-Ð" -vis view points of different cultural and other interest groups give rise to different degrees of support for alternative decision-making procedures and the underlying valuations elicited via the social discourse process (Turner et al, 2004).

Relevance and justification

The study is intended to contribute to the national capacity building for water management. From the foregoing it can be seen that the study is important since it will contribute to the determination of ways of how water could be managed on a sustainable and efficient basis without incurring great negative externalities to the resource as well as to the environment.

The effect of human population and its characteristics on water use, distribution, abundance, and quality ought to be addressed and recommendations and strategies of water conservation should be made to answer future trends and scenarios in the Kafue basin.

Many of the major institutions benefiting from the Kafue waters hold comparable and complementary views on what potential actions would best serve the future of the water resources in a sustainable manner, such views include two important components namely:-

Ð'* Harmonization of legislation that relates to water management and other natural resources

Ð'* An inter-sectoral approach to deal with the issues of the Kafue basin and their rich water resources

Hence, whilst it is recognized that there are conflicting objectives among different institutions and groups, notably the trade-off between energy demands, environmental and agriculture production, domestic demands etc, the positive and co-operative nature of the suggestions for sustainable resource management and future actions provide a strong justification and relevance for potential