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This study examines the rebound effect through the lens of water policy and management in Australia's food and fibre bowl – the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB). We ask 1). whether water returned to the environment via the On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program (OFIEP) leads to reduced agricultural water use, and 2). whether the effect of OFIEP on water use is heterogeneous, in terms of water sources, industries, and local characteristics. We use a unique panel dataset of water extraction and OFIEP project completions at the regional level to estimate the treatment effect of OFIEP projects on water extraction in sMDB, Australia. Although the treatment effect in the first five-year period is negative, a significant rebound effect is identified in the second five-year period, which is also significant across all water sources. The effect of OFIEP on water extraction by industry suggests that regions may experience an immediate reduction in water use due to OFIEP projects, particularly for industries with less elastic water demand, such as horticultural and pasture. However, the negative effect disappears over time, because more irrigation land is developed, particularly for broadacre, requiring more irrigation. Our study demonstrates that the rebound effect from irrigation efficiency projects is more complex at the regional level, which varies greatly across time, water sources and irrigation industries. While irrigation efficiency projects will remain popular among farmers, industry bodies and politicians, it is vital to locate where it occurs and consequently proper policy instruments can be designed to reduce it.
报告人
Alec Zuo is a professor and Australian Research Council Future Fellow in the College of Business, Government and Law (CBGL), Flinders University. He is also affiliated with the Centre for Social Impact and the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training at Flinders University. Alec’s research has contributed significantly to understanding the impact of climate change and resources on irrigation farming, farmer adaptation strategies, and market-based instruments for water resource management. His research has been published in leading international journals (e.g., Global Environment Change, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, European Review of Agricultural Economics, Energy Economics, etc.). Alec is currently an Associate Editor for Water Resources Economics, The Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resources Economics, and Australasian Journal of Water Resources.
讲座组织：北京大学现代农学院
主持人：王金霞 教授
编 辑 | 杜轩昊
近 期 热 点
