Water Allocation Institutions
Stakeholder Analysis
At each level of decision-making for water use, a number of factors influence individual and collective decisions to adapt to changing water supplies. Understanding how and why stakeholders make such decisions, including what information they use and what tradeoffs they consider, is crucial for informing future water management interventions. As part of the Collaborative Research Framework (CRF), a stakeholder analysis will be conducted in two case study basins in order to identify key individuals and organizations that represent major stakeholder groups, such as agricultural, tribal, environmental, and municipal and industrial water users. We will analyze the values, needs, and relationships among these stakeholder groups. In addition to soliciting expertise from stakeholders, we will also develop Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs), who will iterate with the project team to co-produce knowledge and understand the applications of research findings in context.
Photos: Jeffrey Beall, Flickr
Analysis of Water Allocation Institutions in the West
As part of the goal of co-producing new knowledge with stakeholders, including policymakers, state water engineers, regional water/irrigation district managers and others, this project will include an analysis of existing water allocation institutions to better understand the opportunities for and barriers to adaptation to climate-induced water supply changes.
Evaluate Alternative Water Allocation Institutions Using Economic Theory
The performance of the existing water allocation institutions will be compared to different possible alternative institutions. This work will be informed by the institution and policy analysis component of the project which studies the barriers facing institutions and policymakers in adapting to climate changes.