Can Allocation-Based Water Rates Promote Conservation and Increase Welfare? A California Case Study

An allocation-based rate (ABR) is a special type of increasing block rate (IBR) price structure that is receiving increased attention from urban water suppliers in places like California where population growth and climate change continue to increase water scarcity. Previous work by Baerenklau et al. [Baerenklau, KA, KA Schwabe and A Dinar (2014a). Allocation-based water pricing promotes conservation while keeping user costs low. Agricultural and Resource Economics Update, 17(6), 1–14; Baerenklau, KA, KA Schwabe and A Dinar (2014b). The residential water demand effect of increasing block rate water budgets. Land Economics, 90(4), 683–699.] investigates the conservation potential of ABR and finds that consumption under ABR was 10–15% below that of a comparable uniform rate structure for a southern California case study. This paper extends that work by using the discrete–continuous choice framework to estimate household-level welfare effects of ABR for the same dataset. We find that despite the observed decrease in consumption, average household welfare actually increased under ABR due to its non-linear structure. We also find that similar results would have been achievable with a simpler standard IBR structure. While either of these block rate structures is welfare-preferred to uniform price and quantity instruments, neither clearly dominates the other.

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CCP Estimation of Dynamic Discrete/Continuous Choice Models with Generalized Finite Dependence and Correlated Unobserved Heterogeneity

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3015580 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Wayne-Roy Gayle

Keyword(s):

Unobserved Heterogeneity ◽

Choice Models ◽

Continuous Choice ◽

Discrete Continuous Choice

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Does Tenure Security Reduce Disaster Risk? A Comparative Study of the Nairobi Settlements of Kibera and Kawangware

International Journal of Disaster Risk Science ◽

10.1007/s13753-021-00346-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rónán McDermott ◽

Pat Gibbons ◽

Dalmas Ochieng ◽

Charles Owuor Olungah ◽

Desire Mpanje

Keyword(s):

Structural Integrity ◽

Disaster Risk ◽

Comparative Case Study ◽

Complex Relationship ◽

Tenure Security ◽

Household Level ◽

Urban Informal Settlements ◽

The Relationship

AbstractWhile scholarship suggests that improving tenure security and housing significantly reduces disaster risk at the household level within urban settings, this assertion has not been adequately tested. Tenure security can be conceived as being composed of three interrelated and overlapping forms: tenure security as determined by legal systems; de facto tenure security; and tenure security as perceived by residents. This article traces the relationship between tenure security, the quality of housing, and disaster risk on the basis of a mixed methods comparative case study of the settlements of Kawangware and Kibera in Nairobi. Although the findings suggest that owner-occupancy is associated with the structural integrity of dwellings to a greater extent than tenantship, no association was found between the length of occupancy by households and the structural integrity of the dwelling. Moreover, tenantship is not found to be closely associated with fires and flooding affecting the dwelling as extant scholarship would suggest. Formal ownership is linked with greater investment and upgrading of property with significant implications for disaster risk. Our findings highlight the complex relationship between tenure security and disaster risk in urban informal settlements and provide impetus for further investigation.

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Vulnerability to Natural Disaster and Welfare Effect: A Case Study of Flood Risk in Vietnam’s North Central Region

Journal of Asian and African Studies ◽

10.1177/0021909621993499 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002190962199349

Author(s):

Manh-Hung Nguyen ◽

Dung P Le ◽

Thang T Vo

Keyword(s):

Flood Risk ◽

Sampling Method ◽

Household Survey ◽

North Central ◽

Household Level ◽

Central Vietnam ◽

Housing Costs ◽

Household Vulnerability ◽

The Impact

This article investigates the impact of flood risk on vulnerability and welfare at the household level in Vietnam. The analytical sample is taken from a household survey conducted in a north central Vietnam community through a three-stage stratified random sampling method. The propensity score matching approach is employed to compare various welfare indicators between flooded and non-flooded households. This study finds that flooding results in significant income losses and imposes higher costs of living, especially housing costs. The two types of households are vulnerable, implying that other natural disasters or socio-economic disadvantages may have adverse effects on households’ livelihoods. The insignificant effect of floods on vulnerability indicates that the flooded households can cope with floods to some extent. However, contrary to family support, formal coping strategies are insufficient or ineffective at reducing household vulnerability to floods.

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GISwaps

International Journal of Decision Support System Technology ◽

10.4018/ijdsst.2018070104 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 57-78

Author(s):

Goran Milutinovic ◽

Ulla Ahonen-Jonnarth ◽

Stefan Seipel

Keyword(s):

Choice Models ◽

New Method ◽

Pairwise Comparisons ◽

Value Functions ◽

Aggregation Method ◽

Decision Space ◽

Weighting Method ◽

Continuous Choice ◽

Trade Offs

This article describes how continuous GIS-MCDM problems are commonly managed by combining some weighting method based on pairwise comparisons of criteria with an aggregation method. The reliability of this approach may be questioned, though. First, assigning weights to criteria, without taking into consideration the actual consequences or values of the alternatives, is in itself controversial. Second, the value functions obtained by this approach are in most cases linear, which is seldom the case in reality. The authors present a new method for GIS-MCDM in continuous choice models based on Even Swaps. The method is intuitive and easy to use, based on value trade-offs, and thus not relying on criteria weighting. Value functions obtained when using the method may be linear or non-linear, and thereby are more sensitive to the characteristics of the decision space. The performed case study showed promising results regarding the reliability of the method in GIS-MCDM context.

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Development Model on Prevention of Land and Forest Fire in the Peat Land Area with Empowerment Society Approach (Case Study in West Kalimantan)

Indonesian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.32734/injar.v3i3.4448 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 185-195

Author(s):

Maswadi ◽

Shenny Oktoriana ◽

Rini Hazriani ◽

Maulidi

Keyword(s):

Regression Models ◽

Agricultural Extension ◽

Change Model ◽

Land Area ◽

West Kalimantan ◽

Household Level ◽

Burning Behavior ◽

The Social ◽

Land Cultivation

Land fires are an annual agenda in Indonesia, especially in areas covered by peatlands. Peatland management using fire is the main cause. The general paradigm for land fires is that the farmers' economy is low. In fact, the factors that cause land fires are not only from the economic aspect, but from the social and institutional aspects which affect the behavior of farmers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is (1) to analyze the correlation of factors that influence land burning behavior, and (2) to determine the model for the changing of burning behavior into non burning farm land cultivation, in order to prevent land fire in Kuburaya Disrict and Bengkayang District, West Kalimantan. The research involved farmers farming on peatlands in both districts. Regression models was used for the correlation analysis. Based on the results of the regression analysis, a land burning behavior change model was determined based on the influencing factors descriptively. The result of the analysis showed the factors that significantly influence land burning behavior at the household level are knowledge level (consist of farming problems faced by farmers, agricultural extension materials and the application of technology), observance of rules, activeness of mutual assistance, cosmopolitan level, appraisal on burning behavior, and imitation level. The resulting model for changing the behavior of burning land is implementing activity of assistance, social capital stimulus and positive agreements/ pressure to the land users.

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A comparative case study of MTInSAR approaches for deformation monitoring of the cultural landscape of the Shanhaiguan section of the Great Wall

10.21203/rs.3.rs-301999/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hang Xu ◽

Fulong Chen ◽

Wei Zhou

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

Linear Structure ◽

Deformation Monitoring ◽

Sar Interferometry ◽

Comparative Case Study ◽

Rock Falls ◽

High Resolution Data ◽

Heritage Sites ◽

Great Wall

Abstract The Great Wall of China is one of the largest architectural heritage sites globally, and its sustainability is a significant concern. However, its large extent and diverse characteristics cause challenges for deformation monitoring. In this study, the Shanhaiguan section of the Great Wall was investigated in a case study to ascertain the damage and potential hazards of the architectural site. Two standard multi-temporal synthetic aperture radar interferometry (MTInSAR) technologies, including persistent scatterer SAR interferometry (PSInSAR) and small baseline subset (SBAS) SAR interferometry, were used for deformation monitoring using high-resolution TerraSAR-X data acquired in 2015–2017. The results of the two MTInSAR approaches revealed the health condition of the Great Wall. The Shanhaiguan section was stable, but local instabilities caused by rock falls were detected in some mountainous areas. In addition, the applicability of PSInSAR and SBAS was evaluated. The performance analysis of the two approaches indicated that a more reliable and adaptable MTInSAR technique needs to be developed for monitoring the Great Wall. This study demonstrates the potential of MTInSAR technology with high-resolution data for the health diagnosis of heritage sites with a linear structure, such as the Great Wall.

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Comprehensive Assessment of Flood Hazard, Vulnerability, and Flood Risk at the Household Level in a Municipality Area: A Case Study of Nan Province, Thailand

Water ◽

10.3390/w14020161 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 161

Author(s):

Tawatchai Tingsanchali ◽

Thanasit Promping

Keyword(s):

Flood Risk ◽

Flood Hazard ◽

Simulation Models ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Return Periods ◽

Household Level ◽

Pertinent Data ◽

Hazard Vulnerability ◽

Questionnaire Surveys

Estimating flood hazard, vulnerability, and flood risk at the household level in the past did not fully consider all relevant parameters. The main objective of this study is to improve this drawback by developing a new comprehensive and systematic methodology considering all relevant parameters and their weighting factors. This new methodology is applied to a case study of flood inundation in a municipal area of Nan City in the Upper Nan River Basin in Thailand. Field and questionnaire surveys were carried out to collect pertinent data for input into the new methodology for estimating flood hazard, vulnerability, and risk. Designed floods for various return periods were predicted using flood simulation models for assessing flood risk. The flood risk maps constructed for the return periods of 10–500 years show a substantial increase in flood risk with the return periods. The results are consistent with past flood damages, which were significant near and along the riverbanks where ground elevation is low, population density is high, and the number of household properties are high. In conclusion, this new comprehensive methodology yielded realistic results and can be used further to assess the effectiveness of various proposed flood mitigation measures.

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