Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2008HI227B

Integrated Management of Multiple Aquifers in the Face of Climate Change

Institute: Hawaii
Year Established: 2008 Start Date: 2008-03-01 End Date: 2010-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $20,525 Total Non-Federal Funds: $34,742

Principal Investigators: James Roumasset

Project Summary: We propose an intertemporal and spatial optimization model to derive an efficient pricing scheme for the integrated water system of Southern Oahu. Welfare gains from this scheme will be analyzed and compared to those associated with the pricing scheme initiated by the Honolulu Board of Water Supply in October 2006. Recommended management schemes will extend the useful life of the Southern Oahu aquifers, delaying use of costly desalination, and induce conservation through pricing mechanisms that account for marginal user cost. In addition, we will incorporate the impact of future climate change on the efficient allocation of water. Global warming will likely have a significant impact on rainfall frequency and intensity, which will in turn affect groundwater recharge. Under the current pricing structure, groundwater is already being over-consumed, and failing to account for climate change will exacerbate the extant under-pricing problem.