During the last ten years, climate scientists and water specialists have clearly shown that global warming and climate changes will have a strong impact on the water cycle. The Mediterranean region will particularly be affected, with less precipitation and higher temperatures in summer while winter is expected to become warmers and the rainy season shorter. The hydrological regime of rivers as well as the recharge of aquifers will be impacted: river discharges are expected to increase during fall and winter, snowmelt to take place earlier (Spain, Italy, France), periods of lower low flows to become longer and aquifer recharge to decrease. This project aims at exploring the potential of tradable abstraction water permits in Southern European context, taking into account climate and hydrological change perspective but also global economic change. The main objective is to identify the conditions of success of such markets, looking at the concrete implementation problems that may arise in different economic, environmental, legal and institutional contexts. The project will involve one country where water markets already exist under different forms (Spain) and two countries where trading water permits is legally not possible but considered as a possible option (France and Italy). The project should therefore allow very rich exchanges of views between researchers and stakeholders from these three countries. Italy and France are expected to benefit from the Spanish experience. Reciprocally, the project will offer a good opportunity for Spain to test the feasibility of more complex water permits trading systems (e.g. option contracts or inter-basin transfers) through experimental approached conducted in several case studies in the three countries.
Water, CAP & Trade - Water markets scenarios for southern Europe: a response to water scarcity and droughts
RAGGI, MERI
2013
Abstract
During the last ten years, climate scientists and water specialists have clearly shown that global warming and climate changes will have a strong impact on the water cycle. The Mediterranean region will particularly be affected, with less precipitation and higher temperatures in summer while winter is expected to become warmers and the rainy season shorter. The hydrological regime of rivers as well as the recharge of aquifers will be impacted: river discharges are expected to increase during fall and winter, snowmelt to take place earlier (Spain, Italy, France), periods of lower low flows to become longer and aquifer recharge to decrease. This project aims at exploring the potential of tradable abstraction water permits in Southern European context, taking into account climate and hydrological change perspective but also global economic change. The main objective is to identify the conditions of success of such markets, looking at the concrete implementation problems that may arise in different economic, environmental, legal and institutional contexts. The project will involve one country where water markets already exist under different forms (Spain) and two countries where trading water permits is legally not possible but considered as a possible option (France and Italy). The project should therefore allow very rich exchanges of views between researchers and stakeholders from these three countries. Italy and France are expected to benefit from the Spanish experience. Reciprocally, the project will offer a good opportunity for Spain to test the feasibility of more complex water permits trading systems (e.g. option contracts or inter-basin transfers) through experimental approached conducted in several case studies in the three countries.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
