The Importance of Pricing Water

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In Cairo and many other cities, what you have is demand creative and supply. You remember the concept of rolling brownouts or rolling blackouts in California, how did it's energy crisis? Most cities- Explain what that is actually. It basically means that the one section of the city is blacked out because there's not enough energy being generated to serve all sections of the city.

David Zetland of Leiden University College in the Netherlands and author of Living with Water Scarcity talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about the challenges of water management. Issues covered include the sustainability of water supplies, the affordability of water for the poor, the incentives water companies face, and the management of water systems in the poorest countries. Also discussed are the diamond and water paradox, campaigns to reduce water usage, and the role of prices in managing a water system.