Journal Article

Exploring Generational Differences Towards Water Resources and Policy Preferences of Water Re-Allocation in Alberta, Canada

Zuo, Alec, Bjornlund, Henning, Edwards, Jane, Xu, Wei, Wheeler, Sarah Ann

2015

Overview

It is a challenging task for policy makers to design optimal water resource management policies that accommodate increasing demand while minimizing social and environmental impacts of water extraction. We used four surveys of the general community and irrigators in Alberta’s South-Saskatchewan River Basin to explore the values people assign to water and their preferences for water re-allocation policies, focusing particularly on generational differences. The findings suggest that significant generational differences exist: with the younger generation more environmentally concerned, although it favoured less government intervention in water re-allocation. Generational differences also exist regarding residential and irrigation water use values, and in policy preferences for how to protect the environment and the rights of existing water right holders (irrigators). It was also found that urban–rural context and economic dependence (farmers versus non-farmers) on water mediate generational differences in values and preferences.

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Age differences / Age groups / Alberta / Atmospheric Sciences / Civil Engineering / Climate change / Communities / Earth and Environmental Science / Earth Sciences / Environment / Environmental impact / Environmental protection / Farmers / Freshwater / Generational differences / Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences / Governments / Hydrogeology / Hydrology/Water Resources / Irrigation / Irrigation water / issues and policy / Policies / Public policy / River basins / Studies / surveys / Tasks / water management / Water resources / Water resources management / Water rights / Water supply / Water use / watersheds