Property Rights and Development: Water Rights and Rural Household Welfare

Abstract

This Briefing Paper presents the debate on the impact of formalised water rights on rural household welfare. Drawing on this debate, it identifies key research questions and weighs up the evidence to answer these questions, discussing the nature of the evidence available and highlighting gaps in current evidence that need to be tackled through further research. Specifically, this Briefing Paper considers the evidence for the impact of formalised water rights on food security, food production/productivity, and household incomes and nutrition as subcomponents of rural household welfare. The paper also considers the interplay between land and water rights, and the implications of large-scale land acquisitions for water rights.

Citation

Mason, N.; Newborne, P. Property Rights and Development: Water Rights and Rural Household Welfare. Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London, UK (2013) iii + 32 pp.

Property Rights and Development: Water Rights and Rural Household Welfare

Published 1 January 2013