Water Resources Allocation and Agriculture

About the Editors
Contributors
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1
Introduction
Josselin Rouillard, Christina Babbitt, Edward Challies and Jean-Daniel Rinaudo
1.1 Transitioning away from Open Access in the Use of Water Resources
1.1.1 The need to regulate water use
1.1.2 Water allocation as a strategy to regulate water use
1.1.3 Regulating agricultural water use through allocation policies
1.1.4 Challenges of establishing allocation policies in agricultural basins
1.2 Objective and Scope of the Book
1.3 Key Thematic Areas of the Book
1.3.1 The institutional framework
1.3.2 Setting allocation limits
1.3.3 Allocation rules
1.3.4 Compliance and enforcement
1.3.5 Performance of allocation regimes
1.4 Structure of the Book
References
Chapter 2
The politics of groundwater allocation and the transition from open access
William Blomquist and Christina Babbitt
2.1 Introduction: The Importance of Establishing Groundwater Allocations
2.2 Opportunities and Difficulties in Allocating Groundwater
2.2.1 Opportunities
2.2.2 Difficulties
2.3 Managing the Transition to Groundwater Allocations
2.3.1 Examples of transitions away from open access
2.3.2 Recommended considerations for the transition process
2.4 Conclusions: Context and Variation in Groundwater Allocation Development
References
Chapter 3
Allocations and legal trends in the 21st century
Rebecca L. Nelson
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The Global Growth and Development of Administrative Regimes for Allocating Water
3.2.1 Adoption of permitting and planning systems across more nations
3.2.2 Application of permitting and planning regimes to more water sources
3.2.3 Increasing complexity of permitting and planning
3.2.4 Implementation challenges to permitting and planning systems
3.3 Access to Water for More Water Users, and Participation by More Stakeholders
3.3.1 Human right to water
3.3.2 Water for environmental purposes
3.3.3 Transferring allocated water
3.3.4 Water for other consumptive users
3.3.5 Implementation challenges to facilitating access
3.3.6 More diverse participants in processes that influence allocations
3.4 Reflections and Conclusion
Acknowledgements
References
Chapter 4
Indigenous water and Mother Earth
Margot A. Hurlbert
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Ensuring the Place of Indigenous Water Rights: Parallelism and Pluralism
4.2.1 Inherent Indigenous water law
4.2.2 Sui Generis Indigenous rights
4.3 Indigenous Water Law in Canada and the United States
4.3.1 Indigenous water rights
4.3.2 Indigenous water rights on reserve
4.3.3 Indigenous water rights and treaties
4.3.4 Indigenous groundwater rights
4.4 Mother Earth, Relations, and Buen Vivir
4.5 Rights of Nature
4.5.1 Constitutional protection for Mother Earth
4.5.2 River rights
4.6 United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
References
Chapter 5
Allocations and environmental flows
Eric D. Stein, Michael E. McClain, Ashmita Sengupta, Theodore E. Grantham, Julie K. H. Zimmerman and Sarah M. Yarnell
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Planning and Defining Environmental Flows: Emerging Science and Recommended Approaches
5.2.1 Increased focus on ecological functions
5.2.2 Recognizing connections between surface and groundwater management
5.2.3 Planning in an inclusive, consistent, structured, and transparent manner
5.3 Implementation of Environmental Flows: Tools and Approaches
5.3.1 Ecosystem water budgets
5.3.2 Innovative governance structure of water allocation
5.3.3 Holistic management by reducing silos between programs
5.4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 6
Economics and water allocation reform
C. Dionisio Pérez-Blanco
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Economic Issues in Water Allocation Reform
6.2.1 Reforming allocation regimes results in large transaction costs
6.2.2 Water allocation reforms require compromises between economic efficiency, environmental performance, and social justice
6.2.3 Reallocations may result in externalities, which are poorly accounted for in conventional water policy
6.2.4 Reallocations must account for large uncertainties intrinsic to complex social-ecological systems
6.3 A Robust Basis for Economically-Sound Water Allocation Reform
6.4 The Role of Economic Instruments in Reforming Agricultural Water Allocations
6.4.1 Defining economic instruments
6.4.2 Designing appropriate economic instruments to support water allocation reforms
6.4.3 Economic instruments and water allocation reforms: some examples
6.5 The Way Forward: Actionable Science for Informed (Re)Allocations
References
Chapter 7
England and Wales: countering ‘unsustainable abstraction’ with the catchment based approach
David Benson, Hadrian Cook, M. Yasir Ak and Burcin Demirbilek
7.1 Introduction
7.2 The Overarching Institutional Framework
7.2.1 The nature of water rights
7.2.2 Current legal and policy context
7.2.3 Controlling access to water: a catchment based approach
7.2.4 Permitting requirements
7.2.5 Collaborative programmes and decision-making
7.3 Defining the Available Resource Pool
7.3.1 Setting and meeting the volumetric cap in catchments
7.4 Defining Allocation and Re-Allocation Rules
7.5 Monitoring and Compliance
7.5.1 Hydrological monitoring
7.5.2 Enforcement and ensuring compliance
7.6 The Broader Policy Instrument Mix
7.6.1 Drought policy
7.6.2 Other regulatory instruments
7.6.3 Economic instruments
7.7 Assessing Performance
7.7.1 Environmental effectiveness
7.7.2 Economic efficiency
7.7.3 Social equity
7.7.4 Climate resilience
7.8 Conclusions
References
Chapter 8
Water allocation in Spain. Legal framework, instruments and emerging debates
Carles Sanchis-Ibor, Manuel Pulido-Velazquez, Juan Valero de Palma and Marta García-Mollá
8.1 Introduction
8.2 The Legal Framework for Water
8.2.1 The double nature of water rights
8.2.2 Allocation of water rights
8.3 Water Allocation in Practice. Rules and Processes
8.3.1 The overallocation problem
8.3.2 Groundwater overexploitation
8.3.3 Environmental flows
8.3.4 Water exchanges
8.4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 9
Managing a common resource in agriculture: an overview of the French nested water allocation system
Josselin Rouillard and Jean-Daniel Rinaudo
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Legal and Policy Background
9.2.1 The nature of water rights
9.2.2 Water management planning instruments
9.2.3 The permitting regime
9.3 Environmental Bottom Lines
9.3.1 Minimum flows
9.3.2 Management targets
9.3.3 Alert and crisis flows
9.4 Defining the Allocable Resource Pool
9.5 Allocation Rules
9.5.1 Volumetric allocations between sectors
9.5.2 Allocating and reallocating water in agriculture
9.5.3 Drought restrictions
9.6 Compliance and Enforcement
9.7 The Broader Policy Instrument Mix
9.8 Conclusion
References
Chapter 10
Turkey’s water allocation regime under institutional change
M. Yasir Ak, Burcin Demirbilek and David Benson
10.1 Introduction
10.2 The Overarching Institutional Framework
10.2.1 Legal and policy background
10.2.2 The nature of water rights
10.2.3 Controlling access to water and collaborative decision-making
10.3 Defining the Available Resource Pool
10.4 Allocation and Reallocation Rules
10.4.1 Approach for allocating water between sectors
10.4.2 Economic and social performance of the current approach
10.5 Monitoring and Compliance
10.6 The Broader Policy Instrument Mix
10.6.1 Drought policy
10.6.2 Economic instruments
10.6.3 Awareness-raising
10.7 Conclusions
References
Chapter 11
Water allocation in Aotearoa New Zealand: societal values and ecological bottom lines
Edward Challies, Stephen Fragaszy and Josselin Rouillard
11.1 Introduction
11.2 The Overarching Policy Framework
11.2.1 Constitutional and legal framework
11.2.2 RMA and regional councils
11.2.3 Controlling access to water
11.2.4 The nature of water rights
11.3 Defining The Available Resource Pool
11.4 Allocation and Reallocation Rules
11.5 Monitoring and Compliance
11.5.1 Monitoring of water abstraction
11.5.2 Compliance and enforcement
11.6 The Wider Policy Context
11.6.1 Devolved management and collaborative governance
11.6.2 Māori rights and interests
11.6.3 Land use change and water quality
11.6.4 Climate change and hazards
11.7 Conclusion
References
Chapter 12
Groundwater allocation in New South Wales, Australia
Joseph H. A. Guillaume, Alvar Closas and Andrew McCallum
12.1 Introduction
12.2 The Overarching Institutional Framework
12.2.1 Water management as a state responsibility with federal engagements
12.2.2 Historical groundwater regulation in New south Wales
12.2.3 Overview of current regulatory framework in NSW
12.3 Defining the Available Resource
12.4 Defining Allocation and Reallocation Rules
12.5 Metering, Compliance and Monitoring
12.6 The Broader Policy-Regulatory Mix
12.7 Discussion: Strengths and Weaknesses
References
Chapter 13
Water allocation in Brazil: main strategies, learning and challenges
Guilherme F. Marques
13.1 The Brazilian Context on Agricultural Water Use: Supplies and Competing Demands
13.2 The Nature of Brazilian Water Rights: Past and Present
13.3 Legal and Policy Framework to Control Access to Water (Ground Rules)
13.3.1 Permits and concessions
13.3.2 Issuance of permits for surface water
13.3.3 Issuance of permits for groundwater
13.3.4 Regulatory agreements
13.3.5 Strength and weaknesses of the current permitting regime
13.4 Defining Water Allocation Mechanisms: Major Categories and Examples
13.4.1 Collective water permits
13.4.2 Long-term, cyclical allocations for reservoir operations
13.4.3 Short-term, event-based, water allocation mechanisms
13.5 Concluding Remarks
References
Chapter 14
What are we allocating and who decides? Democratising understanding of groundwater and decisions for judicious allocations in India
Uma Aslekar, Dhaval Joshi and Himanshu Kulkarni
14.1 The Crisis of Groundwater Depletion and Contamination in India
14.2 Efforts to Address the Groundwater Crisis to Date
14.3 Challenges in the Current Paradigm
14.4 Moving Beyond Techno-Managerial Solutions
14.5 Towards a Multidisciplinary and Participatory Framework
14.6 Participatory Mapping of Aquifers
14.7 Participatory Water Budgeting in Groundwater-Based Irrigation
14.8 Participatory Groundwater Management
14.9 Conclusions
Acknowledgement
References
Chapter 15
Legal frameworks for agricultural water use in Canada: a comparative study of Alberta and Québec
Hugo Tremblay
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Background
15.2.1 Hydrological regimes
15.2.2 Agricultural water uses
15.3 Overarching Institutional Framework
15.3.1 Constitutional principles
15.3.2 Prior allocation in Alberta
15.3.3 Riparianism in Quebec
15.4 Administrative Frameworks for Agricultural Water Uses
15.4.1 Alberta
15.4.2 Quebec
15.5 Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Chapter 16
Idaho’s Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer: cooperative water policy change for Idaho’s groundwater farmers
Katrina Running
16.1 Introduction
16.1.1 Idaho’s water law and background
16.2 Institutional Change: The 2015 Water Settlement Agreement
16.2.1 Defining allocation and rules
16.2.2 The negotiation process and why it succeeded
16.2.3 Monitoring, compliance, and enforcement
16.2.4 Effectiveness
16.3 Results of The Camp Among Farmers
16.4 Conclusion: Strengths and Weaknesses of Idaho’s Camp Experiment and Implications for and Future Resilience
Acknowledgments
References
Chapter 17
Polycentric governance in Nebraska, U.S., for ground and surface water
Theresa Jedd, Anthony Schutz and Mark Burbach
17.1 Introduction
17.2 Federal Controls on Water Allocation
17.3 State Institutions for Managing Water Allocations
17.3.1 Surface water administration
17.3.2 Groundwater administration
17.3.3 Water law and legal conflicts between ground and surface water users
17.4 Integrating Nebraska’s Surface Water and Groundwater Institutions
17.4.1 Integrated management plans and basin-wide planning: accounting for cross-border challenges
17.4.2 Procedures for over-appropriated basins
17.4.3 Implementing controls: North Platte Natural Resources District
17.4.4 Advantages of the NRD model
17.4.5 Limitations of the NRD model
17.5 Conclusions
References
Chapter 18
Transboundary water allocation in the Amudarya Basin of Central Asia
Dinara Ziganshina
18.1 Introduction
18.2 The Overall Legal and Institutional Framework
18.3 Water Allocation Arrangements
18.3.1 Water allocation rules and principles
18.3.2 Water allocation procedures
18.4 Adjusting Water Allocation Under Different Hydrological Conditions
18.5 Modification or Revision of the Current Water Allocation System
18.5.1 Water allocation practices over 1991–2015
18.6 Water Delivery to the Aral Sea and Prearalie
18.6.1 Water allocation in high-water years
18.6.2 Water allocation in low-water years
18.7 Water Allocation in the Lower Reaches Between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
18.8 Discussion: Strengths and Weaknesses
18.9 Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Chapter 19
Current challenges in the Rio Grande/Río Bravo Basin: old disputes in a new century
Regina M. Buono and Gabriel Eckstein
19.1 Introduction
19.2 Background
19.2.1 Geology and geography of the region
19.2.2 Legal structures and governance at the binational level
19.2.3 Legal structures and governance at the national level
19.3 Current Challenges at the Border
19.3.1 Groundwater
19.3.2 Stakeholder involvement and transparency
19.3.3 Mexico’s recurring water debt
19.4 Conclusions
References
Chapter 20
Transitioning away from open access: lessons learnt from a comparative analysis of water allocation regimes worldwide
Josselin Rouillard, Christina Babbitt, Edward Challies and Jean-Daniel Rinaudo
20.1 Introduction
20.2 Establishing a Facilitating Institutional Framework
20.2.1 Overview of the main steps of institutional development
20.2.2 Formalising water use rights
20.2.3 The role of authorities and user communities in allocation decisions
20.2.4 Establishing a wider supportive policy framework
20.3 Setting the Allocation Cap
20.3.1 Integrating environmental needs
20.3.2 Addressing the temporal variability of the resource in the allocation cap
20.3.3 Accounting for connectivity between water resource types
20.4 Allocation and Reallocation Rules
20.4.1 Defining authorised users at initial implementation of the allocation cap
20.4.2 Adjusting individual allocations to the allocation cap
20.4.3 Accepting new users
20.4.4 Facilitating state, user or market reallocation
20.5 Compliance and Enforcement
20.5.1 Technology
20.5.2 Institutions
20.5.3 Enforcement strategy
20.5.4 Transparency
20.5.5 Social norms
20.6 Concluding Remarks
References
Index