Water Economics: The Economic Aspects of Water Resource Management, Allocation and Use

Water Economics is a multidisciplinary research area at the convergence of environmental science, engineering, economics, sociology, political science, and public policy. Effective water resource management has emerged as a fundamental global challenge due to heightened water scarcity, declining water quality, and conflicting demands among agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors.

Recent research highlights the intricate connections between water resource availability, climate change impacts, economic market mechanisms, political governance structures, and community-level management initiatives. Studies consistently indicate that inefficient allocation, inadequate pricing schemes, and poorly structured governance models often result in unsustainable water use, environmental degradation, and impaired economic growth. Despite increasing scholarly attention on sustainable water management, significant knowledge gaps persist regarding effective economic instruments, robust valuation methodologies, and institutional designs for sustainable water allocation and governance.

This Research Topic aims to explore and clarify the crucial economic aspects of water resource management, allocation, valuation, and pricing through multidisciplinary perspectives. The primary objective is to identify effective economic incentives, market mechanisms, institutional frameworks, and community-based approaches that encourage sustainable water use, prevent water scarcity, and mitigate water-related economic impacts.
Additionally, the topic seeks to provide rigorous empirical analyses that guide evidence-based policy recommendations, contribute to sustainable development goals, particularly SDG-6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and SDG-13 (Climate Action), and address existing gaps and unresolved debates in water economics.

To gather insights within the realm of economic analysis related specifically to water resource management, this Research Topic will focus on theoretical, empirical, and policy-oriented studies addressing areas including, but not limited to:

- Economic consequences and impacts of water scarcity in agriculture, urban areas, and industry.
- Water market mechanisms, institutional policies, and their effectiveness in resource allocation.
- Methodologies and frameworks for water valuation and sustainable water pricing.
- Economic instruments such as taxes, subsidies, and incentive schemes to promote sustainable water management.
- Economic implications of water pollution, including cost-benefit analysis of quality management initiatives and treatment measures.
- Climate change effects on water availability, adaptability strategies, and economic implications.
- Analysis of transboundary water issues, international water agreements, and conflict resolution mechanisms.
- Investments, governance structures, and cost-benefit analyses for water infrastructure projects such as dams, irrigation systems, and supply networks.
- Community-driven management practices promoting sustainable water use and conservation.
- Economics of sustainable urban water management and infrastructure planning.
- Incentives for conservation and technology adoption in water markets

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: water scarcity, water quality, water pollution, water pricing, water use, valuing water, water markets, water management, sustainable water use

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.