Policy Analysis of Water Management for the Netherlands

Summarizes the PAWN project, documented in RAND Notes N-1500/2 to N-1500/20, which designed alternative water management policies for the Netherlands and assessed their consequences. Considers both short- and long-term policies, including building new facilities and changing facility operating rules to improve supply as well as using prices and regulations to reduce user demands. Describes a widely applicable general approach to complex policy problems and presents the specific system of models developed to assess policy effects on agriculture and hydrology, irrigation, shipping, industry, drinking water companies, power plants, salt intrusion, groundwater supplies, and environment. Discusses the policies that were designed and their detailed consequences. Indicates how the study's results were incorporated into the new Dutch water management policy and how the methodology was institutionalized in the Netherlands. Provides a thoroughly documented case study showing how a policy analysis of complex natural resource and environmental questions can be carried out.