Water Economics
For whom?
The course is designed for professionals in water-related fields without prior economic background, with the purpose to provide an economic foundation for water management.
Dates, Fee, ECTS
Start: 16 January 2017
End: 03 February 2017
Deadline IHE application: 16 December 2016 - 23.59 (CET)
Course fee: € 2850
Learning objectives
Upon completion, the participant should be able to:
- Describe the principles of economics and the relevance of economics to water management
- Explain the cause of water resource issues using economic theory and concepts
- Identify economic instruments for water resource management
- Describe economic approaches to estimating the value of water in different use
- Apply economic theory and method to analyze issues of water resource management
Course content
The course will first layout the policy context for water economics, i.e., why is economics relevant and important for water management, through cases and examples in which economics can play or have played a role. The course will then introduce economic principles, concepts, and theory to build economic foundation for understanding water issues. Based on the economic foundation, the course will further elaborate on and synthesize economic approaches to managing water, including quantity and price based policy instruments, institutional role, and benefit-cost analysis.
The course will also cover economic valuation of water uses and decision-making context. As part of the course, a roleplay game will be conducted with course participants to help understanding of water resource management in the real world. Group work, presentation, and individual assignment will be part of learning process to improve understanding.