University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Water security in refugee host communities: Syrian refugees in Jordan

Barkley, Brett R.

Content Files
BARKLEY-THESIS-2015.pdf

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

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
Date of Ingest
2015-07-22T22:17:13Z
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
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/78436
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2015 Brett Barkley

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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Theses - Agricultural and Consumer Economics