Twelve theses on the cost and use of irrigation water

The published literature on the economics of irrigation is extensive and complex. This brief paper provides a clear and succinct account of the linkage between the cost of irrigation water to farmers and the volume of water that they use. Its main aim is to set out the conditions under which an increase in the cost of water is likely to reduce the rate of growth in volume used. The paper is unusual in its format and takes the form of 12 theses with a bibliography of key reading. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.