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AUTHOR
Marta Suárez-varela
A proposal for the analysis of price escalation within water tariffs: The impact of the Water Framework Directive in Spain
During the last few decades, numerous international organizations have emphasized the role of pricing policy as a tool to achieve objectives of efficiency, environmental sustainability, and cost-recovery in the management of water resources. Incorporating a certain level of price escalation within water tariffs by adopting increasing block rates is commonly advocated as a key element for controlling water demand and fulfilling these objectives. However, despite its widespread use, there exists no established procedure to measure the levels of price escalation embodied in water tariffs. We propose a measure of price escalation within water tariffs at the level of the water supply management…
Electoral opportunism and water pricing with incomplete transfer of control rights
One of the forms of intervention in public services that lie beyond market forces is price control. While such regulation is justified by the need to achieve social goals, empirical evidence has sh...
An analysis of the price escalation of non-linear water tariffs for domestic uses in Spain
Abstract Efficient and sustainable water resource use and management is becoming increasingly important, especially in regions under water stress. The use of increasing block pricing involving an escalation or progressivity of unit prices in tariff systems is an economic instrument that contributes to achieving this objective. More progressive tariffs are expected to contribute to a better allocation of resources and avoid their wastage. This article analyses the determinants of the price escalation of water supply tariffs in Spain, a country subject to a high water stress throughout most of its territory. The main objective is to discern whether differences in the degree of progressivity i…