Irrigators' preferences for policy instruments to improve water supply reliability.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Economics
• Water Resource Management
• Climate Change Adaptation

Background:

• Climate change necessitates adaptation strategies for water resource management.
• Understanding irrigators' preferences for policy instruments is crucial for effective water supply adaptation.
• Southern Spain faces significant challenges in water supply reliability due to climate change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze irrigators' preferences for policy instruments aimed at improving water supply reliability.
• To identify heterogeneity in preferences among irrigators regarding different policy approaches.
• To inform the design of efficient policies for climate change adaptation in water management.

Main Methods:

• A Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) experiment was employed.
• Survey data from 202 irrigators in southern Spain were analyzed.
• A latent class model was used to identify preference heterogeneity.

Main Results:

• Irrigators generally favor water storage accounts and improved infrastructure.
• Water markets and water banks were ranked lower in preference.
• Four distinct preference classes were identified: 'market haters', 'pond haters', 'bank haters', and 'pond lovers'.

Conclusions:

• Significant preference heterogeneity exists among irrigators regarding water policy instruments.
• Farm and irrigator characteristics influence class membership, suggesting tailored policy approaches.
• Findings offer opportunities for designing efficient policies to address uncertain water supply under climate change.