RESEARCH NOTE: THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF WATER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL USE DURING WATER SHORTAGES WITH REFERENCE TO THE VAAL RIVER SYSTEM

Optimal utilisation of water means inter alia that it must be allocated to the different uses/users in such a way that the welfare of the community will be enhanced maximally. Necessary information for pursuing optimal allocation is knowledge about the value of water in different uses. An indirect method, the opportunity cost/alternative value method, is applied to assess the value of water for environmental use during a period of water scarcity.