Publication: Valuing Water Resources in Turkey: A Methodological Overview and Case Study
Loading...
Files in English
1,221 downloads
Published
2016-09
ISSN
Date
2016-10-27
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Water is an essential component of Turkey’s economy and environment. Water resources are under strong pressure in terms of both quantity and quality.Freshwater productivity in Turkey is low compared to that of high-income countries,and of some upper middle-income countries of the region, such as Belarus, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, (World Bank, 2016). As the largest user of water, agriculture has extensive irrigation systems, however the existing irrigation practices are not very efficient.The Turkish government is considering a set of policy issues related to water resource management (WRM), including estimating the economic value of water and incorporating this into strategic decision-making on water allocation and pricing. There is a request for developing a tool for water valuation and accounting.The identification of water goods and services is based on the Total Economic Value (TEV) framework, which includes use and non-use values.The economic valuation of water benefits can be based on a wide range of valuation methods.The study presented in this report focused on water valuation with the objectives of introducing the concept and methods of water valuation, and demonstrating their use through actual application of valuation methods to Turkey’s water resources.A case study was quickly carried out in Beysehir Lake sub catchment, the largest freshwater lake in Turkey.The study further identified the need for the following actions: Nurture the political will and institutional arrangements to support the incorporation of valuation into decision-making.Adopt natural capital valuation and accounting as supporting tools in implementing the 2030 Agenda and delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Carry out in-depth valuation studies, covering a wider range of water values and river basins.Improve the valuation of water benefits in Beysehir Lake subcatchment through extended data collection and site-specific studies concerning the economic value of water uses (i.e. agricultural, municipal, recreational, and biodiversity).Develop national guidelines on water valuation and accounting to facilitate future studies and scale/implement existing efforts nationwide.The report contains six chapters. Following this introduction, Chapter two provides an overview of Turkey’s current water sector. Chapter three introduces the concept of total economic value, and Chapter four further discusses the valuation methods for each type of water use. To demonstrate the applicability of valuation in Turkey, Chapter five applies these methods to Beysehir Lake subcatchment in Konya Closed Basin, based on readily available information. Finally, Chapter six provides some conclusions and recommendations.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank Group. 2016. Valuing Water Resources in Turkey: A Methodological Overview and Case Study. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/25291 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Valuing Water Quality Improvement in China : A Case Study of Lake Puzhehei in Yunnan Province(2011-08-01)While polluted surface water is encountered across most of China, few economic valuation studies have been conducted on water quality changes. Limited information about the economic values associated with those potential water quality improvements or deteriorations is a disadvantage for making proper choices in water pollution control and clean-up activities. This paper reports an economic valuation study conducted in Yunnan, China, which aims to estimate the total value of a real investment project to improve the water quality of Lake Puzhehei by one grade level. Located in Qiubei County, which is far from large cities, the lake has been experiencing fast water quality deterioration in the past years. A conservative estimation strategy shows that on average a household located in Qiubei County is willing to pay about 30 yuan per month continuously for 5 years for water quality improvement, equivalent roughly to 3 percent of household income. The elasticity of willingness-to-pay with respect to income is estimated to be 0.21. The economic rate of return of the proposed project is estimated to be 18 percent, indicating a strong demand and high efficiency of investment in water quality improvement in China. This study also demonstrates that previous knowledge about water quality changes and the project may have a significant positive impact on people's valuation, and that the interviewer effect on valuation can be negative.Publication Cooperative Game Theory and its Application to Natural, Environmental, and Water Resource Issues : 2. Application to Natural and Environmental Resources(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2006-11)This paper provides a review of various applications of cooperative game theory (CGT) to issues of natural and environmental resources. With an increase in the level of competition over environmental and natural resources, the incidents of disputes have been at the center of allocation agreements. The paper reviews the cases of common pool resources such as fisheries and forests, and cases of environmental pollution such as acid rain, flow, and stock pollution. In addition to providing examples of cooperative solutions to allocation problems, the conclusion from this review suggests that cooperation over scarce environmental and natural resources is possible under a variety of physical conditions and institutional arrangements. CGT applications to international fishery disputes are especially useful in that they have been making headway in policy-related agreements among states and regions of the world. Forest applications are more local in nature, but of great relevance in solving disputes among communities and various levels of governments.Publication Valuing Access to Water : A Spatial Hedonic Approach Applied to Indian Cities(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2008-02)An important infrastructure policy issue for rapidly growing cities in developing countries is how to raise fiscal revenues to finance basic services in a fair and efficient manner. This paper applies hedonic analysis that explicitly accounts for spatial spillovers to derive the value of improved access to water in the Indian cities of Bhopal and Bangalore. The findings suggest that by looking at individual or private benefits only, the analysis may underestimate the overall social welfare from investing in service supply especially among the poorest residents. The paper further demonstrates how policy simulations based on these estimates help prioritize spatial targeting of interventions according to efficiency and equity criteria.Publication Putting Tanzania's Hidden Economy to Work : Reform, Management, and Protection of its Natural Resource Sector(Washington, DC : World Bank, 2008)This paper tells a story about conditions in Tanzania's hidden economy, the parts of the natural resource sector often ignored in conventional economic analyses and studies, and makes recommendations for future policy actions. The paper draws primarily from extensive background studies undertaken of the forestry, fishery, wildlife, mining, and tourism sub sectors (COWI 2005) as well as a wide range of complementary studies undertaken by the World Bank and others. It de-emphasizes those sectors with factors of production that are not readily traded or exported (such as land and water), although some examples are given relating to soil quality and water management based on extensive studies undertaken within the agriculture and water sectors. The story is relatively simple: pricing distortions, coupled with institutional weakness and the lack of rule of law, have created an environment that undermines economic growth. This paper also acknowledges that Tanzania has already taken positive steps to making some of the needed corrections to protect its natural resources. In recent analyses of corruption indicators world-wide (World Bank Institute 2006), Tanzanian stands out among those nations as having made significant progress towards improving accountability and reducing economic leakages. Anti-corruption legislation was drafted for parliament attention in early 2007. Revisions to the Deep Sea Fishing Authority Act were passed into law in early 2007. Moreover, changes in institutional arrangements, taxation, and general management of the resource sector show promise and have contributed positively to general economic growth. Yet, the sector remains fragile and vulnerable in other respects: perceptions of unequal income distribution, impacts of climate change, and other external influences must also be addressed to build on past successes.Publication Argentina - Water Resources Management : Policy Elements for Sustainable Development in the 21st Century, Main Report(Washington, DC, 2000-08-30)The study reviews the challenges water resources management faces, and the opportunities for policy formulation towards sustainable development in Argentina, where regardless of prudent public finances management, water resources management remain disproportionately backward compared to regional, and international best practices. Hence, within a frame of reference on the country's population, institutions, and legal framework, the study examines the current, accelerated degradation of water quality, where arsenic and nitrate pollution are found in groundwater, a main source of drinking water supply in some rural areas, aggravated by the uncontrolled dumping of raw wastewater in urban areas. The uses, and management of drinking water, and sewage are analyzed, revealing eighty-one percent of urban populations are connected to drinking water networks, and only thirty-eight percent to sewer networks. Upon review of the irrigation sector, which accounts for seventy percent of all extractions of water consumption uses, the study shows very low levels of efficiency, compared to similar experiences in other countries. Integrated and modern water management is suggested, and recommendations include: preservation of groundwater resources; promotion of policies, and actions to control surface water pollution; increased coverage to reduce toxicity risks in drinking water; and, modernization of sanitation, and irrigation systems.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Exploiting Synergies between Rooftop Solar PV and Energy Efficiency Investments in the Built Environment(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-12)The synergies between rooftop solar PV (RPV) and energy efficiency (EE) investments in the built environment include lower specific transaction costs, optimized RPV systems, shorter project payback periods (compared to RPV-only projects), and, for EE, enhanced project visibility. These synergies improve the likelihood of project implementation, which in turn helps to reduce peak demand, increase environmental benefits, improve energy security, and lower energy bills. Because the methods of financing and implementing RPV and EE in the built environment are often similar, it is wise to consider including an EE component when investing in an RPV project, and vice versa.Publication Beyond Unicorns(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2021-07-28)Similar to many other countries around the world, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has hit Indonesia hard. Latest estimates suggest that about 5.1 million people—equivalent to 2.4 percent of the working-age population—have lost their jobs, while an additional 24 million have had to work reduced hours due to the pandemic. As many as 50 percent of workers have experienced a reduction in earnings. The impact on living standards has been devastating, with more than 2.2 million Indonesians estimated to have been pushed into COVID-19-induced poverty in 2020. One unexpected silver lining from the crisis, however, has been the turbo-charged adoption of digital technologies. Businesses, both large and small, have flocked to digital technologies to try to ensure the continuity of their operations. School closures have forced students and teachers to adapt and explore digitally enabled remote learning options, including the adoption of a variety of EdTech solutions. HealthTech apps enabling remote consultations and the delivery of medicine have seen unprecedented growth in adoption rates. Confined at home due to mobility restrictions, Indonesians have switched to the internet for their entertainment and social needs, driving sharp growth in the usage of digital media (music and video streaming) and communications applications. With this pandemic-induced flight to digital expected to be permanent to a large extent, there is excitement about an even greater acceleration in what was already the fastest growing digital economy in Southeast Asia. But at the same time questions have also emerged about the possibility of the differential access to and adoption of digital technologies compounding existing inequalities. For a country that considers achieving balanced development one of its key priorities, this is an important new challenge.Publication Vietnam(World Bank, Hanoi, 2020-05-01)Following from Vietnam’s ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in late 2018 and its effectiveness from January 2019, and the European Parliament’s recent approval of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and its subsequent planned ratification by the National Assembly in May 2020, Vietnam has further demonstrated its determination to be a modern, competitive, open economy. As the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis has clearly shown, diversified markets and supply chains will be key in the future global context to managing the risk of disruptions in trade and in supply chains due to changing trade relationships, climate change, natural disasters, and disease outbreaks. In those regards, Vietnam is in a stronger position than most countries in the region. The benefits of globalization are increasingly being debated and questioned. However, in the case of Vietnam, the benefits have been clear in terms of high and consistent economic growth and a large reduction in poverty levels. As Vietnam moves to ratify and implement a new generation of free trade agreements (FTAs), such as the CPTPP and EVFTA, it is important to clearly demonstrate, in a transparent manner, the economic gains and distributional impacts (such as sectoral and poverty) from joining these FTAs. In the meantime, it is crucial to highlight the legal gaps that must be addressed to ensure that national laws and regulations are in compliance with Vietnam’s obligations under these FTAs. Readiness to implement this new generation of FTAs at both the national and subnational level is important to ensure that the country maximizes the full economic benefits in terms of trade and investment. This report explores the issues of globalization and the integration of Vietnam into the global economy, particularly through implementation of the EVFTA.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Fiscal Policy, Stabilization, and Growth : Prudence or Abstinence(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2008)This volume covers the conduct of fiscal policy in Latin America, and its consequences for macroeconomic stability and long-term growth. The volume's chapters examine different aspects of these problems, ranging from the purely economic to the institutional and political economy dimensions. The book is organized as follows. This chapter offers an integrated overview of the themes covered in the rest of the volume. The chapter guides the reader through the rest of the volume, but it has been written as a self-standing essay for the benefit of those readers who may not have the time to indulge in the details of every chapter. The rest of the volume is organized in two parts. The first part deals with the pro-cyclical bias of fiscal policy, and the second part with the anti-investment bias of fiscal discipline -- popularly (albeit somewhat confusingly) known as the fiscal space problem. The rest of this introductory chapter consists of four sections. Section II examines recent trends in fiscal policy in the region and introduces the two main themes of the book. Sections III and IV present an overview of the topics covered in the two parts of the book, as well as the conclusions of the corresponding chapters. Section V summarizes the implications for future fiscal analysis and policy management.