This study examines water governance and management outcomes across countries in the Middle East, a region characterized by extreme water scarcity but substantial variation in institutional capacity and policy performance. Drawing on comparative evidence from multiple countries and water systems, the analysis investigates why similar levels of hydrologic scarcity produce markedly different outcomes in groundwater sustainability, urban water supply, and agricultural water use. The review evaluates how property-rights clarity, monitoring credibility, pricing structures, and regulatory independence shape system performance under scarcity. Across the literature, technical interventions, including desalination, irrigation modernization, and aquifer recharge, consistently fail to deliver durable improvements without enforceable institutional arrangements. Climate change acts primarily as a stress multiplier, amplifying existing institutional strengths and weaknesses rather than independently determining outcomes. By synthesizing fragmented insights across disciplines, this review reframes water scarcity as a governance-mediated outcome and offers a diagnostic framework and research agenda to improve water security amid increasing climate stress. The findings highlight institutional reform as a central lever for achieving sustainable water management in arid regions.

Increased water extraction led to accelerated shrinkage of the Dead Sea, seriously damaging the environment and posing an economic risk for industry and tourism. The surrounding countries are willing to avert this looming crisis; however, previous approaches became infeasible due to economic, political and ecological hurdles. Motivated by this issue, we propose an alternative sustainable concept based on nanofiltration. We carried out basic design and cost estimations, showing that nanofiltration permeate produced from seawater allows environmentally friendly Dead Sea recharge, minimising gypsum precipitation, algae blooms and groundwater contamination potential on the conveyance routes. Dead Sea level stabilisation with nanofiltration permeate from Med Sea water costs between 0.54 and 0.7 $/m3 at 7 % weighted average cost of capital, significantly lower than treating Red Sea water (0.76 to 0.86 $/m3). Furthermore, providing NF permeate at the Dead Sea in transboundary exchange with Israel allows Jordanian and Palestinian inland desalination for regional potable water production. In the Jordan case, potable water costs at the major demand center, Amman, range between 1.56 and 1.76 $/m3, significantly lower than the national supply from the Red Sea. This study promises a new, feasible solution for trilateral research and implementation cooperation on the Dead Sea issue.

Water Economics and PolicyOnline Ready No AccessEditorial — Cost-Benefit Analysis to Inform Water Policy DebateNir Becker and Frank A. WardNir BeckerDepartment of Economics and Management, Tel Hai College, Upper Galilee, 1220800, IsraelCorresponding author. and Frank A. WardDepartment of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business, Water Science and Management Program, New Mexico State University, 1780 E University Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USAhttps://doi.org/10.1142/S2382624X23020022Cited by:0 Next AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsRecommend to Library ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View article References Arborea, S, G Giannoccaro, BC De Gennaro, V Iacobellis and AF Piccinni [2017] Cost–benefit analysis of wastewater reuse in Puglia, Southern Italy. Water, 9, 175. 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Economic studies on human-wildlife conflicts often apply valuation methods to show that biodiversity conservation generates benefits also from an economic point of view. These studies are useful, but by focusing solely on the monetary benefits of conservation, they neglect that conservation often leads to costs for others which may be the very reason for the conflict. In the current study, we combined an assessment of the marginal benefits of conservation with an assessment of its marginal costs and were thus able to derive what economists call the “optimal level of conservation”. Our focus was the conflict between ecotourism and farming activities and our case study was the conservation of wintering cranes in the Agamon Park in the Hula Valley, Israel. We estimated the marginal benefits of crane conservation to tourism by using the travel-cost method, and the marginal costs by collecting cost data of guarding the agricultural fields and providing alternative feeding options for the cranes. We found that the optimal number of wintering cranes in the Agamon Park, in terms of net benefits to society, is 40,600. We also found that the entrance fee to the reserve, needed to fund the costs of protection from the cranes, is 6.20 ILS (1.88 USD). Our study may serve as a blueprint for identifying and designing policy solutions, using an economic perspective, to conflicts between ecotourism and farming which exist in many protected areas around the world.

There are many endangered species that are not popular, but whose conservation is, nonetheless, important. The present study deals with sharks who suffer from demonization and, accordingly, from public indifference to the deteriorating state of their conservation. We used the seasonal appearance of sharks in the Israeli coastal zone to study public perceptions and attitudes towards sharks prior to ('control group') and after ('visitors') shark watching during a visit in an information centre. We found that the shark's image was significantly more positive among the visitors compared to the control group. We also found that visiting the information centre was strongly related to a more positive shark image and more positive attitudes toward shark conservation and willingness to act to preserve them.

Economic studies on human-wildlife conflicts show that biodiversity conservation generates benefits to society. These studies are useful, but by focusing solely on the monetary benefits of conservation, they neglect the very reason for the conflict, namely its costs. In the current study, we combined an assessment of the marginal benefits of conservation with an assessment of its marginal costs and were thus able to derive the “optimal level of conservation”. Our focus was the conflict between ecotourism and farming activities and our case study was the conservation of wintering cranes in the Agamon reserve in Israel. We estimated the marginal benefits of crane to tourism by using the travel cost method, and the marginal costs by collecting financial cost data. We found that the optimal number of wintering cranes in the Agamon reserve, in terms of net benefits to society, is 40,600. We also found that the entrance fee to the reserve, needed to fund the costs of protection from the cranes, is 6.20 ILS (1.88 USD). Our study may serve as a blueprint for identifying and designing policy solutions, using an economic perspective, to conflicts between eco-tourism and farming which exist in many protected areas around the world.

Aquaponics is often presented as a sustainable food production system that can reduce environmental costs of global food production; yet, its actual environmental effects are understudied. The aim of this research was to review the limited number of life cycle assessment studies dealing with aquaponics, and to highlight environmental cost and benefit of this practice. Our assessment highlights some of the problems, challenges, and advantages of aquaponics as a valuable food production system. We propose guidelines for future life cycle assessments of aquaponics that will facilitate policy and decision-making for farmers with respect to aquaponics.

Integrating fish and plant culture by means of aquaponics has many advantages but is unpopular as a commercial practice. This study identifies barriers to the adoption of aquaponics, and quantitatively predicts potential adoption of aquaponics by Israeli farmers, as a case study. We predict that only a small proportion (4-17%) of potential farmers in Israel would adopt aquaponics within 10 to 12 years from initial exposure. Farmers with the highest predicted rates of adoption were organic growers, followed by fish farmers. Raising profitability would double to triple predicted adoption levels in most grower populations.

Aquaponics is an emerging industry promoted as a sustainable agricultural practice. Economic sustainability of aquaponics is challenging, partly because some of the benefits are external to the grower, necessitating public intervention to support the industry. We used life cycle assessment to estimate the environmental impact of a proposed aquaponic system and applied a set of economic valuation methods to assess the costs of identified impact factors. We found that the system, planned to produce 60,000 ornamental fish and 108,000 lettuce heads per year would impact the environment with a cost of 10,700 EUR annually, about half the environmental cost of separate production of the same produce. Most of the external cost can be attributed to the industrial processes that prepare products used for aquaponic production. Although this method provides only a rough estimate of actual system impact, it can potentially be used to assess the cost-effectiveness of aquaponics from an environmental perspective.

Urban rivers contribute to our social well-being. However, they are some times overlooked and not appreciated by decision makers, who wrongly consider them as an economic burden. This lack of knowledge has often led rivers to be degraded, or dried. Here we examine the case of the Ein-Zahav stream within the city of Kiryat-Shmona in northern Israel. From the 1950's the stream underwent transformation from a perennial to an intermittent stream, which caused it to be neglected and then, years later, following pressure by city residents, was restored again to its current perennial state by 2019. To evaluate the importance of the Ein-Zahav stream we conducted a socio-economic assessment of the cultural services of the stream which flows through an urban park, The Golden Park. This assessment was carried out by the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM). The data was based on a face-to-face survey with a representative sample of city residents and visitors at the stream. The cultural services were assessedby asking interviewees about their willingness to pay to prevent a loss of these services. Rrespondents were also asked specifically about three components of the restoration process: water quality, water flow and maintenance of the riverbanks. The results show an annual benefit from the flowing stream, equal to 1.16 million ILS (0.35 million USD). This translates to about 0.19% of the mean income per household in the town. Our findings indicate a substantial value of the river and demonstrate the importance of quantifying non-market benefits in an urban ecosystem system.

The risk of developing a major non-communicable disease is critically affected by lifestyle choices. This study examined the consequences of factors that might predict a change in the self-rated health of older adults and aimed to assess their monetary costs. In particular, two predisposing risk factor moderators were studied: high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The effects of these on two serious adverse cardiovascular events - heart attack and stroke - were estimated. Using data from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) carried out in 2014, a two-stage procedure was applied as well as pairwise comparison. The results revealed the significant role of socioeconomic status in health outcomes. Behavioural risk factors were found to be significant predictors for heart attack and stroke. The findings support the claim that variables such as age, wealth and behavioural risk factors are additional predictors of a change in these two diseases. The monetary consequences can reach up to 12.8 thousand Euros for older adults per unit of predisposing risk factor. Since national health budgets are limited, health policies might be prioritized.

A perpetual lack of adequate resources to conserve and protect nature requires managers to prioritize some conservation efforts over others. Conservation managers tend to resist prioritization based on one specific goal, preferring to compare the outcomes of conservation programs with the achievement of diverse goals. We describe a conservation index based on a survey of management at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA). The result provided an index for spatial prioritization of conservation efforts. The surveys revealed a strong preference for conservation attributes that were more relevant in the north of Israel where levels of biodiversity are perceived to be higher. The contribution of this research is to provide an objective method of spatial prioritization not requiring conservation managers to express preferences for one region over another. A second contribution of the research was the revealed differences in prioritization of conservation goals between national INPA staff and district staff.

As of 2020, there are only 27 MW of installed wind capacity in Israel. Yet, the country's northern region is expected to soon become the site of numerous additional wind farms. The externalities associated with wind turbines frequently arouse concerns and objections among the general public. The relative apprehensions about different external effects remain poorly characterized. Moreover, the associated environmental costs with different effect are difficult to assess, especially for populations unfamiliar with turbines' environmental impacts. The study involves a choice experiment survey among Israelis living in the country's northern region. The questionnaire evaluated perceptions of five environmental impacts caused by wind turbines: noise, visibility; bird mortality, land use and shadow flickers. Results indicate high rates of public support for wind power. Significant concerns emerged about noise pollution from turbines. Reasonable setback distances and attention to avian populations also appear necessary to assuage public opinion. Evaluation of demographic characteristics reveals disparate preferences in different populations. Findings are relevant for policy makers in ongoing efforts to design more precise environmental standards for wind power and ensure appropriate utilization of land resources. Greater attention to environmental impacts promises to improve social acceptance of wind turbines, ensuring their optimal location and ultimate contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A biosphere reserve is a protected area that includes smaller areas where restricted development is allowed. This may help solve the conflict between conservation and development in areas where a corner solution is too expensive. The designation and management of a biosphere reserve contribute to what is called landsenses ecology but have their own costs and therefore need to be assessed for their benefits. In this study, non-market economic value resulting from the designation of the Megiddo Biosphere Reserve was quantified. The benefits for visitors in the area increased by ILS 59.23 per visit, for overall annual value of ILS 5.93 million (about US$ 1.68 million). Non-visitors are willing to pay ILS 24.75 per household per year to preserve the area. This result reflects the designation which is only a part of the overall value of the site. In terms of the total population of Israel, use and non-use values of the reserve total ILS 85.1 million per year. These results suggest that the Megiddo Regional Council joining the Bio-sphere designation program increased the value of the area for the entire population of Israel, both economically and in terms of non-market values.

Using a conservation index as a prioritization tool, we explore combining some protected areas and dividing others in order to optimally redistribute rangers when no additional financial resources are available. Then we explore splitting protected areas to achieve the optimal distribution of additional human resources if additional financial resources become available. We found that efficiencies can be achieved by combining ranger areas with low value indices and splitting ranger areas with high value indices thus freeing rangers to move from low valued areas to high valued areas. Another approach to prioritizing conservation resource distribution when budgets are limited is return on investment. Using the index of the ranger area divided by the cost of managing the ranger area, to prioritize where budgets are distributed could provide greater protection at different budget levels over other methods of prioritization. The ROI Index, which measured the per index cost, outperforms most other methods of prioritization for most of the conservation goals we study. ROI Index however only came in 4th as a method of prioritization when it came to protecting species abundance. The three analyses offered new methods to combine benefits and costs to prioritize the distribution of conservation resources.

The global expansion of infrastructures is generating vast amounts of waste soil (soil excavated from construction sites that cannot be used on-site); the amount of waste soil accumulated in the European Union in 2014 was estimated at 463 x 106 tons. The regulation and management of waste soil disposal are currently limited to: (1) local use for various engineering projects; (2) stockpiling on-site for future use; (3) transferal to landfills, which are currently overfilled, as padding material or for disposal. Despite a number of permitted actions for handling waste soil, a significant portion of it is disposed of in the area surrounding the construction site, thus raising the risk of pollution and landscape spoilage. Waste soils are commonly excavated from deep layers, and are therefore saline, sodic, and lack organic matter, preventing their use without pre-treatment. Moreover, due to the intensification of crop production, one-third of the global agricultural land area is susceptible to soil loss by erosion, constituting ~50% of total estimated soil erosion. Here we show a new approach for environmentally, agronomically and economically sustainable use of reclaimed waste soil to rehabilitate degraded agricultural land. In a 3-year field experiment under rain-fed conditions in a semi-arid region of Israel, we found that waste soil ploughed into agricultural soil had low erodibility, similar to that of the original agricultural soil, despite its high sodicity. Waste soil application tended to decrease the soil organic carbon concentration but had no detrimental effect on wheat hay yield or wheat grain yield or quality in the second and third year, respectively. The economic analysis suggested an average reduction of 8.7 million USD in waste soil disposal costs if 50% of the waste soil produced in Israel annually were to be utilized in agricultural fields. Thus, waste soil can be utilized successfully in degraded agricultural lands; this opens a new route to land reclamation and provides land managers and stakeholders with a sustainable way to reduce costs while transforming an environmental burden into a resource.