66
Views
2
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

Implicit water pricing in Namibian farmland markets

Pages 633-645 | Published online: 03 Jun 2010
 

Abstract

Groundwater can augment total agricultural water supply in areas where rainfall is persistently low, but can also function as a buffer source of water in areas where rainfall is high but variable. In arid countries it is important to examine which of these functions dominates, as this has implications for water policy. As aquifers become depleted, the buffer function can be replaced by other local water supply schemes. However, if groundwater is mainly used to augment total water supply, the only replacement is long-distance supply schemes that may not be economically desirable. This study used Namibian farm price data to estimate implicit water values. The results are consistent with a buffer function for groundwater, but do not show conclusively that this function is more important than other functions. On precautionary principles, one should therefore assume that it will become necessary to decrease agricultural water use as aquifers become depleted.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.