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Designing contracts for irrigation water under asymmetric information: Are simple pricing mechanisms enough?

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  • Viaggi, D.
  • Raggi, M.
  • Bartolini, F.
  • Gallerani, V.

Abstract

A fertile discussion is developing in the EU regarding the application of the Water Framework Directive (60/2000) (WFD), the legislative act that provides the framework for water regulation in Europe and emphasises the role of economic instruments in water policy. The objective of this paper is to provide an evaluation of different instruments designed to deal with the management of water for agriculture, in the perspective of WFD implementation and agricultural price scenarios. The paper focuses on the regulation of mixed source unmetered water and carries out a comparison of flat rate versus differentiated contracts as the policy instrument. The analysis is based on a combination of linear programming and a Principal-Agent model. The empirical model is applied in an agricultural area of Northern Italy. The results show the feasibility of incentive-oriented policy instruments, even in the less sophisticated form of flat rate area payments. They also show the relevance of agricultural market scenarios and policy scenarios in the design of the optimal policy instruments. The adoption of such instruments, however, could require a revision of the role of different institutions involved in water management.

Suggested Citation

  • Viaggi, D. & Raggi, M. & Bartolini, F. & Gallerani, V., 2010. "Designing contracts for irrigation water under asymmetric information: Are simple pricing mechanisms enough?," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(9), pages 1326-1332, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:97:y:2010:i:9:p:1326-1332
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Macho-Stadler, Ines & Perez-Castrillo, J. David, 2001. "An Introduction to the Economics of Information: Incentives and Contracts," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, edition 2, number 9780199243259.
    2. Chokri Dridi & Madhu Khanna, 2005. "Irrigation Technology Adoption and Gains from Water Trading under Asymmetric Information," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 87(2), pages 289-301.
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    2. Juárez-Torres, Miriam & Sánchez-Aragón, Leonardo & Vedenov, Dmitry, . "Weather Derivatives and Water Management in Developing Countries: An Application for an Irrigation District in Central Mexico," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 42(2).
    3. Buchholz, Matthias & Musshoff, Oliver, 2014. "The role of weather derivatives and portfolio effects in agricultural water management," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 34-44.
    4. Ivan Portoghese & Raffaella Matarrese & Laura Mirra & Giacomo Giannoccaro, 2025. "Assimilating Farmers’ Behaviour in the Development of an ET-Based Irrigation Water-Accounting Model," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 39(14), pages 7749-7774, November.
    5. Rahmatollah Kazemi-nejad & Azam Rezaee & Ramtin Joolaie & Ali Keramatzadeh, 2024. "Investigating the effects of water resources consumption reduction policies on agricultural sustainability in different climates in Iran," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 1007-1032, January.
    6. Buchholz, Matthias & Holst, Gesa & Musshoff, Oliver, 2015. "Water and irrigation policy impact assessment using business simulation games: Evidence from northern Germany," DARE Discussion Papers 1505, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE).
    7. Matteo Zavalloni & Meri Raggi & Davide Viaggi, 2016. "Assessing Collective Measures in Rural Policy: The Effect of Minimum Participation Rules on the Distribution of Benefits from Irrigation Infrastructure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-19, December.
    8. Mirra, Laura & D'Urso, Guido & Giannoccaro, Giacomo & Cicia, Gianni & Del Giudice, Teresa, 2021. "Water Pricing in Agriculture following the Water Framework Directive: A Systematic Review of the Literature," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 12(04), December.
    9. Giacomo Giannoccaro & Ruggiero Sardaro & Rossella de Vito & Luigi Roselli & Bernardo C. de Gennaro, 2020. "Politiche di gestione della risorsa idrica sotterranea a fini irrigui. Analisi delle preferenze degli agricoltori," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 22(2), pages 1-27.
    10. Alban Lika & Francesco Galioto & Davide Viaggi, 2017. "Water Authorities’ Pricing Strategies to Recover Supply Costs in the Absence of Water Metering for Irrigated Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-16, November.
    11. Zhisong Chen & Huimin Wang & Xiangtong Qi, 2013. "Pricing and Water Resource Allocation Scheme for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(5), pages 1457-1472, March.

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