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Abstract
This paper assesses the economic value of
changes in the attributes of farmers’ irrigation water
property rights in Tunisia. Changes on attributes
generated by the transfer process of the property rights
from the collective to the individual level in addition to
changes in “constitutional” attributes were integrated
into three scenarios. The valuation was conducted using
the Contingent Valuation Method through the elicitation
of individuals’ willingness to pay. Results show positive
willingness to pay values for all scenarios. However,
farmers of the studied region are shown willing to pay
more for changes in the constitutional attributes.
Furthermore their willingness to pay appears to be most
affected by their perceptions concerning the
organization and the functioning of the water users’
association to which they belong and by their
productivity.