Water security in refugee host communities: Syrian refugees in Jordan

Barkley, Brett R.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/78436 Copy

Description

Title

Water security in refugee host communities: Syrian refugees in Jordan

Author(s)

Barkley, Brett R.

Issue Date

2015-04-21

Committee Member(s)

• Chakraborty, Arnab
• Winter-Nelson, Alex E.

Department of Study

Agr & Consumer Economics

Discipline

Agricultural & Applied Econ

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• Refugees
• Water Security
• Development Economics
• Resource Economics
• Middle East
• Syria
• Jordan

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that host communities experience positive welfare effects following a large refugee influx, with local agricultural producers receiving the largest benefits. However, this may not occur in host communities where production inputs such as water are scarce. I adapt a dynamic economic model of groundwater extraction to analyze the environmental impact of the Syrian refugee influx from 2013 onward on the Amman Wadi As-Sir aquifer in the northern region of Jordan. I then show that, given model assumptions, agricultural producers in the Jordanian Highlands experience negative welfare effects as the resource is allocated away from producing sectors of the economy in order to provide for the refugee population. The extent of this effect varies given different scenarios of repatriation or resettlement, and is long-lived as the aquifer is depleted. Finally, I discuss policy implications for increasing water security in Jordan, focusing on two fronts: long-term capacity (e.g. wastewater reuse, infrastructure rehabilitation, and/or desalination) and local capacity (e.g. community water projects). It is left for future research to test the effectiveness of specific policies.

Graduation Semester

2015-5

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78436

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2015 Brett Barkley

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