The Amenity Value of Agricultural Landscape and Rural–Urban Land Allocation

We analyse rural–urban land allocation in the light of the increasing environmental role of agricultural landscapes. The landscape amenity value of farmland varies across crops and as a result affects the optimal crop mix in addition to its effect on rural–urban land allocation. Investigating the effects of population and income growth processes, we find that, contrary to market outcomes, the socially optimal allocation may call for more farmland preservation under both processes. In an empirical application to a region in Israel, we find that the extent of market under‐supply of farmland is substantial and that population growth calls for more farmland preservation at the expense of urban land.     

The Relative Efficiency and Implementation Costs of Alternative Methods for Pricing Irrigation Water

A useful means for achieving efficient allocation of irrigationwater is to put the right price tag on it. This article discussessome of the more pervasive pricing methods and compares theirefficiency performance, paying special attention to the impactof the cost of implementing each method on its efficiency. Thearticle uses an empirical example to demonstrate numericallythe relative efficiency of the different pricing methods andthe important role of implementation costs. The volumetric,output, input, tiered, and two-part tariff methods all can achieveefficiency, although the type of efficiency varies from onemethod to another. These methods also differ in the amount andtype of information, and the administrative cost, needed intheir implementation. The example indicates that water pricingmethods are most pronounced through their effect on the croppingpattern—more so than through their effect on water demandfor a given crop. Implementation costs have a large effect onwater tariffs and on welfare and hence should have an importantrole in determining the desirable method to use in any givenwater situation.     

Regulating environmental threats

Environmental consequences of natural resource exploitation often entail threats of future occurrences of detrimental abrupt events rather than (or in addition to) inflicting a damage gradually. The possibility of abrupt occurrence of climate-change related calamities is a case in mind. The uncertainty associated with the realization of these threats and their public-bad nature complicate the design of optimal economic response. We derive a Pigouvian hazard tax schedule that implements the socially optimal outcome. The tax is based on the expected cost of the hazard-generating activities and serves to reduce hazardous emissions well in advance of the catastrophic occurrence. A numerical example illustrates possible effects of the proposed regulation scheme. Implications for climate policy are discussed.      

A general equilibrium analysis of conjunctive ground and surface water use with an application to Morocco

Groundwater resources (GW) account for nearly 30% of the world's sustainable water supplies. Yet, this resource, which is fraught with externalities, has largely been left unregulated. The economic literature on GW is predominantly of a partial equilibrium type. We analyze GW regulation in a general equilibrium setting, focusing on the stabilization value of GW under natural (drought) and economic (rural–urban water transfer) shocks. A general equilibrium approach allows evaluating direct and indirect effects of GW regulation on agriculture and nonagriculture sectors and extends the scope for water policy. The analysis is applied to Morocco by extending an existing computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to include ground and surface water (SW) resources. We study effects of (i) an increase in GW extraction cost (e.g., as a result of prolonged extraction beyond natural recharge that lowers the aquifer's water table), (ii) a transfer of SW from rural (irrigation) to urban (domestic) use, and (iii) a reduction of water availability due to severe drought. We estimate the value of GW and assess the direct (partial equilibrium) and indirect (general equilibrium) impacts. We find that GW plays a critical role in mitigating the negative effects of these types of shocks.     

Coping with Multiple Catastrophic Threats

We study intertemporal policies for dealing with multiple catastrophic threats with endogenous hazards, allowing, inter alia, for gradual mitigation efforts that accumulate to reduce occurrence risks. The long-run properties of the optimal policies are characterized in terms of the key parameters (damage, hazard sensitivity and natural degradation rate) associated with each type of catastrophic threat. Effects of background threats on the optimal response to a potential catastrophe are illustrated numerically.