Imani Somaye, Niksokhan Mohammad Hossein, Jamshidi Shervin, Abbaspour Karim C
Water Resource Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran.
Water Research Institute (WRI), Ministry of Energy, Tehran, Iran.
Environ Monit Assess. 2017 Jul;189(7):346. doi: 10.1007/s10661-017-6066-4. Epub 2017 Jun 20.
The economic concerns of low-income farmers are barriers to nutrient abatement policies for eutrophication control in surface waters. This study brings up a perspective that focuses on integrating multiple-pollutant discharge permit markets with farm management practices. This aims to identify a more economically motivated waste load allocation (WLA) for non-point sources (NPS). For this purpose, we chose the small basin of Zrebar Lake in western Iran and used the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) for modeling. The export coefficients (ECs), effectiveness of best management practices (BMPs), and crop yields were calculated by using this software. These variables show that low-income farmers can hardly afford to invest in BMPs in a typical WLA. Conversely, a discharge permit market presents a more cost-effective solution. This method saves 64% in total abatement costs and motivates farmers by offering economic benefits. A market analysis revealed that nitrogen permits mostly cover the trades with the optimal price ranging from $6 to $30 per kilogram. However, phosphorous permits are limited for trading, and their price exceeds $60 per kilogram. This approach also emphasizes the establishment of a regional institution for market monitoring, dynamic pricing, fair fund reallocation, giving information to participants, and ensuring their income. By these sets of strategies, a WLA on the brink of failure can turn into a cost-effective and sustainable policy for eutrophication control in small basins.
低收入农民的经济担忧是地表水富营养化控制营养物减排政策的障碍。本研究提出了一种观点，即专注于将多污染物排放许可市场与农场管理实践相结合。这旨在为非点源（NPS）确定一种更具经济动机的废弃物负荷分配（WLA）。为此，我们选择了伊朗西部的兹雷巴尔湖小流域，并使用土壤和水资源评估工具（SWAT）进行建模。通过使用该软件计算了输出系数（ECs）、最佳管理实践（BMPs）的有效性和作物产量。这些变量表明，在典型的废弃物负荷分配中，低收入农民几乎无力投资于最佳管理实践。相反，排放许可市场提供了一种更具成本效益的解决方案。这种方法可将总减排成本节省64%，并通过提供经济利益激励农民。市场分析显示，氮排放许可大多涵盖了价格在每公斤6美元至30美元之间的最优交易。然而，磷排放许可的交易有限，其价格超过每公斤60美元。这种方法还强调建立一个区域机构，用于市场监测、动态定价、公平资金重新分配、向参与者提供信息以及确保他们的收入。通过这些策略组合，濒临失败的废弃物负荷分配可以转变为小流域富营养化控制的一种具有成本效益和可持续性的政策。
