Water scarcity has intensified conflicts between regions and interest groups
for the use of water resources. Water policies have been implemented worldwide to
face with water stress; however, existence of opposite interest between water users
together with differences in their political power hinder the effectiveness of the water
policy reform. A better understanding of users’ behavior is necessary to avoid the
failure of water policies and the intensification of water scarcity problems and water
conflicts. This paper empirically examines the perception of interest group about the
implementation of different water policies to deal with water scarcity, and also their
proactive involvement, or lobbying, with water organizations. We have conducted a
survey in a water stressed basin in Southeastern Spain (Jucar River Basin) to analyze
interest group opinions regarding water institutions’ performance and management;
and the cost and benefits from group influence or lobbying on policy makers. The
results highlight the existence of notably differences between the preferred measure to
face with water scarcity together with sizable divergences in the active lobbying
capacity of the interest groups depending on the size of the group, the specific basin
location (upstream or downstream), and group characteristics.This Project
was possible because the support of the project INIA RTA2014-00050-00-00. Ariel Dinar would
like to acknowledge support by the Multistate Hatch Project W3190- Management and Policy
Challenges in a Water-Scarce WorldPublishe
