Valuing water
Research Status: Ongoing |
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:
- recreational use of the Motueka River (angling, picnicking, swimming etc),
- non-use values for the Motueka River held by Nelson/Tasman residents, and
- use of water in the Motueka River catchment for production purposes (pastoral, arable, horticulture and forestry).
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.
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Cows in the Motueka River |
Anglers in the Motueka River |
Recent Publications
2.28MB
Recent Presentations
| Year | Title | File Size |
| 2009 | Improving Water Governance – Stakeholder Views Of Five South Island Catchment Management Processes |
0.67MB
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| 2001 | Economic value of water. |
0.07MB
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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 » |
Primary Contacts:
|
Andrew Fenemor
Email Phone: 03 545 7710 More details» |
Institute Landcare Research |
Expertise ICM programme management; local liaison; resource management; hydrology and water resource management |
