The command paradox: Unraveling the impact of command-and-control water conservation policies on water-use technical efficiency

IF 6.6 2区经济学 Q1 ECOLOGY

Ecological Economics Pub Date : 2025-01-28 DOI:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108535

Jing Xin , Hui Zhou , Hongqiang Yang , Jichuan Sheng

{"title":"The command paradox: Unraveling the impact of command-and-control water conservation policies on water-use technical efficiency","authors":"Jing Xin , Hui Zhou , Hongqiang Yang , Jichuan Sheng","doi":"10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108535","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intensifying global water scarcity poses a significant threat to sustainability, compelling nations to implement diverse strategies focusing on improving water conservation. Despite the urgency of this issue, limited research has been conducted on the nexus between command-and-control water-saving policies and technical efficiency. This study develops a theoretical framework to assess the impact of such policies, using China's Most Stringent Water Management System (ISWMS) as an example. It argues that not all water conservation measures enhance technical efficiency, and specific command-and-control policies may hinder it. The negative effects are most pronounced in regions with inadequate infrastructure and high urbanization. Moreover, these policies may worsen efficiency in monsoon zones by improving water accessibility. Ultimately, this study emphasizes that command-and-control policies are not universally effective and often require integration with other measures to achieve desired outcomes. By offering a theoretical foundation and practical insights, this research expands the policy discourse on water-use technical efficiency and provides valuable guidance for the global formulation of command-and-control water-saving initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51021,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Economics","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 108535"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ecological Economics","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800925000187","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

The intensifying global water scarcity poses a significant threat to sustainability, compelling nations to implement diverse strategies focusing on improving water conservation. Despite the urgency of this issue, limited research has been conducted on the nexus between command-and-control water-saving policies and technical efficiency. This study develops a theoretical framework to assess the impact of such policies, using China's Most Stringent Water Management System (ISWMS) as an example. It argues that not all water conservation measures enhance technical efficiency, and specific command-and-control policies may hinder it. The negative effects are most pronounced in regions with inadequate infrastructure and high urbanization. Moreover, these policies may worsen efficiency in monsoon zones by improving water accessibility. Ultimately, this study emphasizes that command-and-control policies are not universally effective and often require integration with other measures to achieve desired outcomes. By offering a theoretical foundation and practical insights, this research expands the policy discourse on water-use technical efficiency and provides valuable guidance for the global formulation of command-and-control water-saving initiatives.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Ecological Economics 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

12.00

自引率

5.70%

发文量

313

审稿时长

6 months

期刊介绍： Ecological Economics is concerned with extending and integrating the understanding of the interfaces and interplay between "nature''s household" (ecosystems) and "humanity''s household" (the economy). Ecological economics is an interdisciplinary field defined by a set of concrete problems or challenges related to governing economic activity in a way that promotes human well-being, sustainability, and justice. The journal thus emphasizes critical work that draws on and integrates elements of ecological science, economics, and the analysis of values, behaviors, cultural practices, institutional structures, and societal dynamics. The journal is transdisciplinary in spirit and methodologically open, drawing on the insights offered by a variety of intellectual traditions, and appealing to a diverse readership. Specific research areas covered include: valuation of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and development, ecologically integrated technology, integrated ecologic-economic modelling at scales from local to regional to global, implications of thermodynamics for economics and ecology, renewable resource management and conservation, critical assessments of the basic assumptions underlying current economic and ecological paradigms and the implications of alternative assumptions, economic and ecological consequences of genetically engineered organisms, and gene pool inventory and management, alternative principles for valuing natural wealth, integrating natural resources and environmental services into national income and wealth accounts, methods of implementing efficient environmental policies, case studies of economic-ecologic conflict or harmony, etc. New issues in this area are rapidly emerging and will find a ready forum in Ecological Economics.