Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts of the Re-Use of Water in Agriculture in Jordan

Publication Type

Doctoral thesis

Authors

Majdalawi, M.

Year of publication

2003

Published in

Farming & Rural Systems Economics

Editor

Doppler, W. and Bauer, S. (Eds.)

Pubisher

Margraf Verlag , Weikersheim

Band/Volume

51, 204 Seiten/

ISBN / ISSN / eISSN

3-8236-1401-0

Keywords

environment, farming systems, Jordan Valley, Socioeconomics, water quality

The increasing demand for water in different sectors in the Middle East under the given water capacity has created an extreme shortage of water. This book deals with the socio-economics of the re-use of water in agriculture in a typical region in Jordan. In the framework of the farming systems approach, family resource allocation and living standard criteria were measured. Consumer perceptions of products produced with low quality water were analyzed. To determine the relationship between water quantity and quality, the dynamic system approach was applied. The assessments of the strategies of re-using water were estimated by using multi-periodical (dynamic) linear programming models. The empirical results of the analysis showed that the higher income level in the high quality water zones is due to the different use of other resources and potentials when compared to the low quality water zones. Water use efficiency as well as the economics of water use has a technical limitation when compared to zones of higher quality. The analysis of consumer response showed that with decreasing prices, products produced with low quality water become increasingly accepted. The high price elasticity of low income classes is not reflected when income is high. The most effective strategy of future development was to increase the substitution of treated water for fresh water given that the water quality is high enough to irrigate fruit trees in the low quality water zones and for planting vegetables in the others.