Integrated Catchment Management

Valuing water

 Research Status: Ongoing
Mt Owen

Mt Owen

Introduction

Allocating the rights to use a potentially scarce environmental resource requires judgements to be made about the values and opportunities to be protected, and the benefits and costs of different allocation mechanisms. These judgements depend on good information including the economic costs and benefits involved. This information is not currently available.

Research Approach

Identify key economic values of surface water in the Motueka River catchment by estimating the marginal benefits and costs associated with different flow management regimes.

The research focuses on the marginal value of a change in water availability/flow rather than the total value of any particular use of the water to the local economy. Understanding how the marginal value of water changes at different levels of availability/flow provides information about efficient ways of managing risk associated with drought, and provides an economic perspective on the efficient allocation of water between uses.

Over three years the Project will estimate the marginal value of changes in average low flow on:

Research Results

The investigation was delayed by a shift in staff resources. A draft survey questionnaire for anglers was developed. Agreement was reached with AgResearch to conduct an analysis of the value of water availability to pastoral agriculture in the Catchment. Plans were prepared to survey recreational users and the regional community in early 2002.


Cows in the Motueka River Anglers in the Motueka River

Cows in the Motueka River

Anglers in the Motueka River

Recent Publications

Year Title File Size
2012 A Summary of Outcomes and selected formal publications from the Integrated Catchment Management (ICM)research programme:2000 – 2011
pdf       1.08MB
2011 Integrated Catchment Management – Special Issue of the NZ Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research  
2006 Hydrological information in water law and policy: New Zealand’s devolved approach to water management. doc       2.28MB
2005 Hydrological effects of forestation: a review.  
2004 Costs and benefits of the Tadmor valley water augmentation scheme. pdf       1.23MB
More publications on this topic »
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Recent Presentations

Year Title File Size
2009 Improving Water Governance –
Stakeholder Views Of Five South Island Catchment Management Processes
pdf       0.67MB
2001 Economic value of water. pdf       0.07MB
More presentations on this topic »
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BMPs, BEPs and Guidelines

Title Description
Heritage Management Guidelines for Resource Management Practitioners From Guide:
Guidelines on sustainable management of historic heritage to promote understanding...More »  
The Value of Conservation This publication explores the economic rationale of conservation more fully while also outlining man...More »  
All BMPs, BEPs & Guidelines »

Primary Contacts:


Image - Andrew Fenemor Andrew Fenemor  EmailSend email to fenemora
Phone: 03 545 7710
More details»
Institute
Landcare Research
Expertise
ICM programme management; local liaison; resource management; hydrology and water resource management
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Page last updated Tuesday, 4 September 2007

Related areas

Upper Motueka water resources