2007_6_Nr6_EEMJ

Environmental Engineering and Management Journal November/December 2007, Vol.6, No.6, 491-495
http://omicron.ch.tuiasi.ro/EEMJ/
“Gh. Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, Romania
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NONMARKET VALUATION OF ACEQUIAS: STAKEHOLDER
ANALYSIS
Steven Archambault ∗ , Joseph Ulibarri
University of New Mexico, Department of Economics MSC 05 3060, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, United States
Abstract
From a traditional market economy perspective, the productivity attained when water and land is used for acequias is much lower
than the productivity achieved when applying these same resources to urban and industrial uses. An analysis of key stakeholders
has indicated that there are cultural and environmental attributes of acequia agriculture landscapes that are not captured in the
market-assigned value of acequias. This analysis revealed the motivations behind the value placed on acequias by government,
developers, policy organizations, religious groups, and other stakeholders. Such context may not be fully captured in a
quantitative nonmarket valuation study. This research also identified potential policy and management initiatives that could
improve the nonmarket value of acequias. These include investments in less water intensive acequia infrastructure and agriculture
techniques; supporting education and research of the cultural and environmental contributions of acequias; and promoting the
interests in tourism in acequia communities.
Key words: Nonmarket valuation, stakeholder, agriculture, acequias
1. Introduction
Acequia comes from the Arabic word
“saqiya,” or water conduit, and refers to irrigation
canals originally used in Iberia by Arab farmers. The
technique, which diverts water from rivers to
agricultural fields, was introduced in New Mexico by
Spanish colonizers several hundred years ago (Brown
and Rivera, 2000). Through the present day, acequias
have been collectively owned and democratically
governed by members of the acequias de común.
Mayordomos (ditch bosses) are democratically
appointed to provide executive leadership for
community maintenance of the acequias, and to
oversee the distribution of acequia water (Rivera,
1998). With the scarcity of water and frequency of
droughts due to the desert climate, the early
development of villages and towns in New Mexico
relied heavily on water from acequias to grow maize,
vegetables, and other crops.
During the 1900s, with the arrival of new
economic and development opportunities, acequias
became less important for providing the survival
needs of New Mexico’s communities. In the last
several decades, the output from acequia agriculture
production has had much less value than the
productivity achieved when acequia land and water is
used for urban development, industrial production,
and other economic activities (Rivera and Martinez,
2000). Additionally, increased environmental
demands for water to be used to maintain river flows
have called into question the continued utilization of
water for acequias. Despite these pressures, over 1000
acequias continue to operate in New Mexico (Brown
and Rivera, 2000). Many stakeholders advocate that
the cultural significance of acequias is reason enough
to support their existence. Further, it is suggested that
acequias provide important environmental
contributions, including buffering against floods,
contributing to riparian habitat, and adding to the
recharge of groundwater systems (Brown and Rivera,
2000). The objective of this research is to explore and
understand the context in which acequias provide
value through their nonmarket cultural and
environmental attributes, and to identify measures
that may lead to increases in this value.
∗ Author to whom all correspondence should be addressed: sarchamb@unm.edu