Water Rights System, Water Transfer, Environmental Protection: Case Studies of the Western United States, England and Wales, and Japan

Abstract

This paper presents a survey of many articles of (1) water rights systems, (2) water transfer problems, and (3) water rights system reforms for environmental protection, concerning the Western United States, England and Wales, and Japan. Present water rights reforms around the world include not only water transfer from agricultural use to urban use, but also water transfer from consumptive use to instream (environmental) use. Water rights systems have many features affected by rationality, weather, etc. Simple features of water rights systems in three countries are shown, as is the present state of water transfers from agricultural use to urban use in the Western United States. The paper also shows how water rights systems in three countries are reformed for environmental protection.