The second textbook in the "Modern Agricultural Economic Management Series" planned by CCAP, focusing on the economic value of water resources and water pricing policy, has been published.

Release date：2025/06/03　　Source： CCAP

The implementation of the Rural Revitalization Strategy is a major policy decision made at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It is guided by the overarching goal of modernizing agriculture and rural areas, with the general requirements of thriving industries, pleasant living environments, a civilized rural culture, effective governance, and prosperous lives. The discipline of Agricultural Economic Management integrates multiple fields, including economics, management, agronomy, ecology, and environmental science. It aims to provide theoretical and policy support for the development of agriculture and rural areas, making it one of the key disciplines supporting the Rural Revitalization Strategy. Against the backdrop of the "New Agriculture Disciplines" contributing to rural revitalization and the "New Liberal Arts" promoting China's narrative through Chinese theories, paradigms, and confidence, it is particularly necessary to develop a modern series of textbooks on agricultural economic management. This initiative is essential for cultivating well-rounded talents suited to the development needs of China's agriculture and rural areas in the new era.

To this end, the China Center for Agricultural Policy (CCAP) at Peking University has initiated the compilation and publication of the Modern Agricultural Economic Management Series. In May 2025, the second volume of the series, titled The Economic Value of Water Resources and Water Pricing Policy, was published by the China Social Sciences Press. The textbook was authored by Tianhe Sun ,  Yunyun Zhu, Jinxia Wang, and Lijuan  Zhang. Professor Jinxia  Wang, Director of CCAP, led the team, with the other co-authors being graduates trained by CCAP. Professor Jikun  Huang, Honorary Director of CCAP, wrote the foreword for the series.

The Economic Value of Water Resources and Water Pricing Policy aims to clarify the internal logic between the economic value of water resources and water pricing policies. It quantitatively evaluates the price elasticity of water demand in agriculture, urban residential life, and industry. Based on this, the book analyzes how water price changes in different sectors and under various scenarios affect agricultural water use and production in river basins, providing a scientific foundation for promoting effective water pricing policy reforms.

The textbook is structured around five main areas:

1. Review of Policy Evolution: A systematic overview of the reform trajectories of China’s agricultural, urban residential, and industrial water pricing policies, along with an analysis of annual and basin-level water price trends across the three sectors.

2. Assessment of Agricultural Water Value: Evaluation of the economic value of irrigation water to lay the groundwork for assessing the effectiveness of agricultural water pricing policies.

3. Agricultural Water Demand Elasticity: Using micro-level survey data, the book estimates the price elasticity of irrigation water demand and evaluates the reforms and outcomes of irrigation water pricing policies.

4. Urban and Industrial Water Demand Elasticity: Estimation of the price elasticity of urban residential and industrial water demand, along with an analysis of the key influencing factors and the degree to which water prices affect demand in these sectors.

5. Scenario-Based Policy Impact Modeling: Using the estimated water demand functions for urban and industrial sectors, the book calculates the amount of water available for agriculture under different pricing scenarios and applies the CWSM (Comprehensive Water Simulation Model) to simulate the impact of water pricing policies on agricultural production.

This textbook is intended for researchers, graduate students, and senior undergraduates engaged in the field of water resource management.

Here are the official publisher recommendation links for the first two volumes of the Modern Agricultural Economic Management Series:

1. Volume 1: Adaptive Irrigation Management in a Changing Environment
   Official Publisher's Recommendation: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Pqs_StHBK3xTSevcZ-SqfQ

2. Volume 2: The Economic Value of Water Resources and Water Pricing Policy
   Official Publisher's Recommendation: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/tcNsTQQrkeOnjvi7Q3riJA