Agricultural Use of Groundwater: Towards Integration Between Agricultural Policy and Water Resources Management (Economics, Energy and Environment (17))

Groundwater is endangered and polluted in several ways. Conservation and better management of this invisible resource should be a key ingredient of sustainable water policies. This is especially true in areas, such as many Mediterranean regions, which are already exposed to scarcity problems and which are likely to experience increasing competition between freshwater uses and users. Agriculture is an important user of groundwater not only in terms of abstractions, but also in terms of generation and release of pollutants. Agricultural policies, traditionally directed towards other objectives, are beginning to pay more attention to environmental considerations. However more effective initiatives are required to reduce the pressure upon groundwater resources and to achieve a better integration between agricultural and environmental policies. This book has been developed from three workshops held as part of the EU Concerted Action SAGA, "Sustainable Agricultural Use of Aquifers in Southern Europe: Integration between Agricultural and Water Management Policies" (FAIR5-CT97-3673). The Concerted Action and the workshops brought together researchers working in different but complementary fields, in order to get a picture of the state-of-the art about interlinkages between agriculture and groundwater, as well a critical review of alternative regulatory approaches and policy instruments aimed at improving groundwater management. Front Matter....Pages i-x Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Introduction — Improving Agricultural Use of Groundwater: Policy Issues and Further Research Directions....Pages 3-11 Front Matter....Pages 13-13 Freshwater Availability and Groundwater Use in Southern Europe....Pages 15-34 Agricultural Impacts on Groundwater: Processes, Modelling and Decision Support....Pages 35-75 Issues in the Valuation of Groundwater Benefits....Pages 77-106 Misconceptions in Aquifer Over-exploitation: Implications for Water Policy in Southern Europe....Pages 107-126 Front Matter....Pages 127-127 Controlling Groundwater Pollution from Agricultural Non-point Sources: an Overview of Policy Instruments....Pages 129-155 Voluntary and Compulsory Measures to Implement a More Sustainable Agriculture in Water Catchment Areas....Pages 157-167 Negotiated Agreements Between Water Suppliers and Farmers in the Context of Changing Water Networks in Europe....Pages 169-193 Negotiated Agreements on Groundwater Quality Management: a Case Study of a Private Contractual Framework for Sustainable Farming Practices....Pages 195-212 Front Matter....Pages 213-213 Agricultural Policy, Environmental Impacts and Water Use Under Production Uncertainty....Pages 215-239 Agricultural Subsidies, Water Pricing and Farmers’ Responses: Implications for Water Policy and CAP Reform....Pages 241-257 Socio-economic and Institutional Factors Affecting Water Resources Management in a CAP Framework....Pages 259-274 The Environmental Impacts of CAP: An Overview of the Present State of Knowledge and Research Needs....Pages 275-289 Back Matter....Pages 291-302