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A taxonomy of economic water policy instruments and their dynamic effects for sustainable water management

Author

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  • Diaz-Cano, Esther
  • Berbel, Julio
  • Montilla-López, Nazaret M.
  • Gutiérrez-Martín, Carlos

Abstract

[EN] Economic instruments are widely used in environmental policy; however, their application in water governance often lacks contextual clarity. This paper presents an integrated taxonomy of economic instruments for sustainable water management and proposes a complementary, trajectory-based framework for assessing time-dependent performance. Interventions are characterised by implementation profile (sin-gle, discontinuous, or continuous) and by response type (static or dynamic, with reinforcing or eroding ef-fects). Combining these dimensions clarifies how behavioural and institutional adjustment shapes outcomes over time, supporting the design and evaluation of robust, adaptable, and context-sensitive instruments for long-term water sustainability [ES] Los instrumentos económicos se utilizan ampliamente en la política ambiental, pero su aplicación en la gobernanza del agua a menudo carece de claridad contextual. Este artículo desarrolla una taxonomía integrada de instrumentos económicos para la gestión sostenible del agua y propone un marco para evaluar el desempeño temporal. Las intervenciones se caracterizan por el tipo de implementación (única, discontinua o continua) y el tipo de respuesta (estática o dinámica, con efectos reforzadores o erosivos). Esta combinación clarifica cómo los ajustes conductuales e institucionales condicionan los resultados, apoyando el diseño y la evaluación de instrumentos robustos y adaptables.

Suggested Citation

  • Diaz-Cano, Esther & Berbel, Julio & Montilla-López, Nazaret M. & Gutiérrez-Martín, Carlos, 2026. "A taxonomy of economic water policy instruments and their dynamic effects for sustainable water management," Economia Agraria y Recursos Naturales, Spanish Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 26(01), June.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:earnsa:404226
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.404226
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    References listed on IDEAS

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