Drivers of Economic Information in River Basin Planning

Abstract

Modern water policy requires new kinds of economic information in order to improve the ability of stakeholders and water authorities to analyze the whole set of alternatives available, to provide transparency and to assess and adapt water decisions to the emerging water management challenges. Considering this, we present an overview of the main drivers of economic information in the European water policy agenda as defined by the Water Framework Directive. After a brief introduction, the paper explains how basic economic statistics have been used to carry out the economic analysis of water use for the preparation of river basin management plans. We present the strategies used to enhance the usefulness of the economic information already available. The paper ends with a reflection on what parts of the economic information gaps have been satisfactorily dealt with and what the remaining gaps are.

Notes

1. The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Secretariat or the United Nations Office to Support the International Decade for Action (UNO-IDfA) ‘Water for Life’ 2005–2015. The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.