A new column by the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) shows how politics is preventing water from reaching communities in southern California that desperately need it.
In short, the column promotes water markets and pricing as superior to politics when it comes to water distribution.
Canadian policy makers – particularly in semi-arids such as southern Alberta- should take note.
In the past, the Frontier Centre has written about how water markets can help the semi-arid Prairies.
Alberta announced a few years ago that it was reviewing its water allocation system, which may include an expansion of water licence transfers.
However, the public is badly misinformed about water markets and their benefits.
A poll commissioned recently by a lobby group called Our Water is Not for Sale claimed that most Albertans opposed putting water rights on the market.
One wonders, however, how informed Albertans really are about water markets.
Much of the information they are receiving is from alarmist environmentalist groups.
Clearly, Albertans and all Canadians need to see how politicization has prevented thirsty communities south of the border from receiving water transfers.
