Benefit–cost analysis of ambient water quality improvement in China

2014 ◽  
pp. 364-368
Author(s):  
Hua Wang
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Ambient Water ◽  
Water Quality Improvement ◽  
Benefit Cost Analysis ◽  
Benefit Cost

scholarly journals Water quality indices and benefit-cost analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Walsh ◽  
William J. Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Aggregation Function ◽  
Benefit Cost Analysis ◽  
Regulatory Impact Analysis ◽  
Aggregation Functions ◽  
Benefit Cost

The water quality index (WQI) has emerged as a central way to convey water quality information to policy makers and the general public and is regularly used in US EPA regulatory impact analysis. It is a compound indicator that aggregates information from several water quality parameters. Several recent studies have criticized the aggregation function of the EPA WQI, arguing that it suffers from “eclipsing” and other problems. Although past papers have compared various aggregation functions in the WQI (usually looking at correlation), this is the first paper to examine these functions in the context of benefit-cost analysis. Using data from the 2003 EPA CAFO rule, the present paper examines four aggregation functions and their impact on estimated benefits. Results indicate that the aggregation method can have a profound effect on benefits, with total benefit estimates varying from $82 million to $504 million dollars. The net benefits of the rule vary from negative to positive over this range of estimates. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis does not find convincing evidence to substitute the current aggregation function, although several changes to the underlying WQI methodology may be warranted.

scholarly journals Economic Evaluation of Water Resource Management in South Korea Based on Benefit–Cost Analysis

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 215824402110101
Author(s):  
Hyun No Kim
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Economic Evaluation ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Water Quality Improvement ◽  
Benefit Cost

The economic evaluation of the government policy is useful to identify the effectiveness of its financial management and the achievement of its goal. Based on valuation studies of water quality improvement from the Environmental Valuation Information System database provided by Korea Environment Institute, this study employed a meta-regression to measure the benefits of water quality improvement in three major river basins in South Korea. The empirical model is specified to capture the differentiated impact of water quality improvement by each river basin and the regression results showed that the increase in water quality grade has an impact on willingness-to-pay values. The total benefits provided by Han, Nakdong, and Geum River are estimated to be about US$490 million, about US$173 million, and about US$50 million per year, respectively. The estimated benefits were then compared with the costs, namely river management funds (RMFs) which are financial resources to support a variety of projects for water quality improvement. Based on benefit–cost comparison, this study explores the economic evaluation of water resource management in South Korea. This study also provides policy options including the equity of imposing water use charges, operational efficiency of RMFs, and stakeholder engagement for inclusive water governance that are helpful to maintain the sustainability of water resource in the long run.

scholarly journals Benefit-cost analysis of water quality policy and criteria in the Delaware River

Water Policy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-327
Author(s):  
Gerald J. Kauffman
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Optimal Level ◽  
Water Quality Criteria ◽  
Delaware River ◽  
Benefit Cost Analysis ◽  
Marginal Costs ◽  
Benefit Cost

Abstract This research conducts a benefit-cost analysis of water policies to reach an optimal level of dissolved oxygen (DO) to meet year-round fishable water quality criteria in the Delaware River. A watershed pollutant load model is utilized to estimate marginal cost curves of water quality improvements to meet a more protective year-round fishable standard and annual benefits are defined to achieve future DO criteria in the Delaware River. The most cost-effective DO standard is 4.5 mg/L defined by the point where the marginal benefits of willingness to pay (WTP) for improved water quality equals the marginal costs of pollution reduction. This optimal criteria (4.5 mg/L) can be achieved at a cost of $150 million with benefits ranging from $250 to $700 million/year. While a future DO standard of 4.5 mg/L reflects an economically efficient level of water quality, this DO criteria is less protective than the level of 5–6 mg/L needed to protect anadromous fish such as the Atlantic sturgeon. The policy to reach a DO level of 6 mg/L (at 80% DO saturation) may be difficult to achieve at summer water temperatures that approach 30 °C in the Delaware River at Philadelphia.

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