2013/01/01 by Aurélien Dumont, Beatriz Mayor, Elena López‐Gunn · 1 citation
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Energy · Engineering · #Agriculture #Climate Change Policy and Economics #Computer science #Consumption (sociology) #Economic growth #Economics #Efficient energy use #Energy, Environment, and Transportation Policies #Engineering #Environmental economics #Geography #Modernization theory #Mythology #Natural resource economics #Political science #Process (computing) #Public economics #Rebound effect (conservation) #Social science #Sociology #Unintended consequences #Water resources management and optimization
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.aqpro.2013.07.006
openalex publication_date 2013/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Improving the efficiency of water use is usually presented as an opportunity for large water savings, particularly in the agricultural sector. Warnings that this may not translate into reduced consumption is sometimes associated with the rebound effect or Jevons paradox, an appealing concept that can be used to analyse and prevent unde ired consequences in the rush for efficiency gains. This article, based on the energy sector, shows that the concept helps to identify possible unintended consequences of increasing efficiency and shows how efficiency gains are shared in society. However, it might be conceptually misleading when applied to water since it reinforces a myth on the consideration of water savings and efficiency, and may be also too restrictive. The recent modernisation of irrigation practices in Spain highlights that the rebound effect is only one of many possible consequences of efficiency improvements.