Viability of increasing the tariff of freshwater for irrigation as a tool to stimulate wastewater reuse in the MENA region

Abstract

Despite water scarcity and high agricultural water demand in the Middle East and North Africa region, substantial proportions of treated wastewater are discharged into the environment and seas without proper utilization. All countries of the region, low pricing of reclaimed wastewater is a common tool to make reuse attractive. However, low pricing of reclaimed wastewater is ineffectual due to farmers' access to freshwater for irrigation at low tariff. Therefore, increasing the prices of freshwater in such a way that does not jeopardize feasibility of agriculture would promote irrigation with reclaimed wastewater even at increased prices. On one hand, it increases the gap between the price of freshwater and that of reclaimed wastewater, making the later more attractive. On the other hand, it would be used as a financial resource for funding the investment costs of the infrastructure needed for conveyance and distribution of reclaimed wastewater. This paper studies the viability of increasing the prices of freshwater and reclaimed wastewater. The results show that irrigation with reclaimed wastewater even for restricted irrigation can be as profitable as, and sometimes better than, freshwater irrigation. Some of the permitted crops such as fruit trees can be more profitable than vegetables. Thus, it appears that the level of knowledge farmers and others on the benefits of reclaimed wastewater is still limited.

Water reclamation and intersectoral water transfer between agriculture and cities – a FAO economic wastewater study

“…It is suggested, and sometimes practised, to charge the farmers with the current price of freshwater, so that its replacement with reclaimed water will pay, provided the price of the latter is lower. The revenue from water pricing could be used as a further financial resource for funding wastewater reuse projects (Abu-Madi et al 2007).…”

Wastewater

“…In Kuwait or Greece, for example, the willingness to accept or pay for reuse increased with the educational attainment ( Availability of Alternative Water Sources Even when advanced processes are used to treat wastewater and known health risks are well managed, negative public perception can prevent well-planned projects from moving forward, especially if it concern potable use and there are still alternative water sources. To identify the actual consumer and to understand consumer's views, the crop marketing channels needs to be analyzed before assessing the perceptions (Amoah et al 2007;Abu-Madi et al 2008). As a result, only a small portion (2.5 % in 2011) of NEWater has been injected into Singapore's freshwater reservoirs (Lim and Seah 2013).…”

“…In Jordan, like for example also in Tunisia or Kuwait, also religious concerns were expressed (Box 5.2) but not among the top reasons for farmers' rejection or hesitation to use reclaimed wastewater for irrigation (Abu-Madi et al 2008;Alhumoud and Madzikanda 2010). Also in view of potable water reuse, no fundamental religious objections appear to exist either internationally or locally, as a multi-level survey in Durban showed (Wilson and Pfaff 2008).…”

“…However, the attitudes of Islam can actually be considered as an incentive for irrigation with reclaimed wastewater although some farmers and rural dwellers might not be aware of this (Abu-Madi et al 2008). However, the attitudes of Islam can actually be considered as an incentive for irrigation with reclaimed wastewater although some farmers and rural dwellers might not be aware of this (Abu-Madi et al 2008).…”

“…lack of safer (and equally beneficially) alternatives makes the use of polluted water an accepted, hardly avoidable professional trade-off (Kilelu 2004; Keraita et al 2008;Gbewonyo 2007;Gerstl 2001;Abu-Madi et al 2008;Knudsen et al 2008).…”