Published by FAO in 2006 and jointly produced by FAO, IUCN and IWMI, Stakeholder-oriented valuation to support water resources management processes: Confronting concepts with local practice represents a different approach to the valuation of natural resources, one that considers how to support stakeholders in managing their water demands.
Various methods have been developed in the past that allow users to express the value of water-related goods and services in quantitative, monetary units but the authors of this publication note that these methods are often complicated and demanding in terms of the time, expertise, and data required. This represents a significant challenge for developing countries.
The report takes a new approach, exploring how to improve the connection between the well-documented analytical efforts to place a value on water resources and the actual water resources management processes. It compares the concepts on integrated water resources management (IWRM) and water valuation with practical experiences from three case studies in which a stakeholder-oriented approach to water valuation has been used as a source of empirical data. The case studies include: the Mkoji subcatchment in Tanzania which focuses on the value of water resources to support different local livelihood activities while also meeting environmental requirements; the Kirindi Oya basin in Sri Lanka that focuses on the value of water resources to support irrigation and fisheries, two potentially conflicting functions; and the Stoeng Treng Ramsar Site in Cambodia, that focuses mainly on the in situ value of water resources for the provision of various wetland goods and services that support local livelihoods.
Supporting stakeholders in managing their water resources means supporting stakeholders to make choices on the allocation and sharing of water-related goods and services, and making that choice often requires valuing one use over others; this publication is intended to assist stakeholders in this by providing a first outline for a stakeholder-oriented water valuation process.
Available in PDF format, you can download the publication here [1.86MB].
Source: Sandra Hails, Communications Education and Public Awareness Officer, Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention
Updated on 5/2/2006 3:46:32 PM.
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