Water Resources and Economic Processes

Water exploitation has increased notably in the world during the last 250 years since the onset of industrialisation. The relationships between economic processes and water use are complex and include many interwoven drivers such as: technological development, dietary choices and food production, climate change, demographic change, and policy reforms, among others. Ensuring food, water, and energy for the growing population remains a common global challenge.
Taking on a multi- and inter-disciplinary viewpoint, Water Resources and Economic Processes offers an up-to-date collection of contributions from leading scholars and works to gather research on important aspects of relevant fields and methodologies, including:
Historical and long-term overview of the relations between income growth, water use, and technological development;
Water markets and collaborative actions' promise and threats in the fight against water stress;
Impact of climate change on water productivity, including inter- and intra-annual variations;
Urban reforms and surveys on the attitude of citizens towards private and public mitigation and preservation measures;
Regional, national, and global comparative case-studies;
International trade, migration, conf licts, and the globalisation of water;
Methodological and empirical challenges of building future scenarios.
This book is a key reference text for those studying water governance and management. It is suited to PhD students, national institutions, and NGO, as well as other professionals interested in understanding sustainable water use at the local, national, and international scales.

Tiziano Distefano is a Research Fellow at the University of Pisa, Italy.

Introduction Part I. Water resources and economy 1. Revisiting water and economic growth from a long-term perspective 2. Income flows and water flows: Exploring the relation between income, economic growth, water use and water quality 3. Water markets' promise and limits in a changing world 4. Green and blue water use for agricultural production: Volumes and efficiencies 5. Water stranding in the energy and agriculture sectors: The case of hydraulic fracturing in water scarce irrigated regions Part II. A focus on local case-studies 6. Water-related perceived harms and pro-environment behaviours: A taxonomy of EU citizens 7. Deepening regional cooperation for enhancing water, energy, and food security in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region 8. China's crop-related water footprint and trade 9. The role of policies, institutions and regulation for the Portuguese water utilities Part III. Water limits: human and modelling challenges 10. Water scarcity and migration: A simple theoretical approach 11. Water-in-food, conflicts and refugee movements: A comprehensive analysis 12. Modelling water resources and economic growth: The empirical challenge 13. The future of water and economics: A regional approach in Colombia