Analysis of Impacts of Irrigation Water Pricing on Groundwater Balance

مجله اقتصاد و توسعه کشاورزی

Article 6, Volume 24, Issue 2, July 2010   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jead2.v1389i2.3934

Authors

H. Balali^{* 1}; S. Khalilian²; M. Ahmadian³

¹Tarbiat Modarres

²Tarbiat Modares

³Tehran University

Abstract

In recent years, irregular exploitation of groundwater in the Hamedan-Bahar plain for the purposes of municipal drinking and agricultural irrigation has decreased the level of groundwater table in this area, threatening the life of groundwater aquifer. Some researchers believe that water demand management practices including correlated instruments such as water pricing and related agricultural policies can play efficient roles in controlling water resource exploitation. The basic objective of the study is to analysis the impacts of irrigation water pricing on aquifer groundwater balance and exploitation by using of dynamic programming method. Analysing of the results indicate that by continuing of excitant condition in Hamedan-Bahar plain, the groundwater volume balance of aquifer will be near -171 m3 and water table decreasing of aquifer will be 4.28 meter at the end of whole planning horizon. Results also, show that by increasing irrigation water price , although economic revenue of agriculture sector in the study area decreases, but negative balance of aquifer groundwater will improve and be positive at the water price rate of 1500 Rial/m3.

JEL: C61, CO2, M 11

Keywords

Dynamic Programming; Pricing; Groundwater Resource; Hamadan - Bahar Plain