The Political Economy of Water Markets

A Report for the Rockefeller Foundation

The primary aim of the overall report is to identify and understand the conditions, policies and laws that lead water markets to function as a useful counterpart to other tools for sustainable water management. To that end, a central objective is to identify market, policy, institutional, legal or combined imperfections and failures that are impeding water market function.

On this page you will find links to the three part final report and eight case studies from varied geographies that were developed by experts in the field. 

Final Report

1. Part I: Health Water Markets: A Conceptual Framework
2. Part II: Political Economy of Water Markets in the Western United States
3. Part III: Comparative Analysis of Legal Regimes with Respect to Fostering Healthy Water Markets
4. Annex: Water Markets, Public Goods, and Market Failure

Case Studies

1. Bauer, Carl J. The Evolving Water Market in Chile's Maipo River Basin

2. Dyson, Megan. Addressing Overallocation and Water Trade in New South Wales, Australia: Namoi Basin Groundwater

3. Dyson, Megan. Evolution of Australian Water Law and the National Water Initiative Framework

4. Fereday, Jeff. Opportunities for Surface Water Right Marketing in Idaho’s Rapidly Urbanizing Treasure Valley

5. Hardberger, Amy. Texas Groundwater Markets and the Edwards Aquifer

6. Pagel, Martha. Oregon’s Umatilla Basin Aquifer Recharge and Basalt Bank

7. Sanchez, Leslie, Bruce Aylward and Don Springmeyer. Truckee-Carson Surface Water Markets in Northern Nevada

8. Young, Richael. Smart Markets for Groundwater Trading in Western Nebraska: The Twin Platte