Water scarcity and agricultural growth in Spain: from curse to blessing?

Ignacio Cazcarro, Rosa Duarte, Miguel Martín-Retortillo, Vicente Pinilla and Ana Serrano ()
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Ana Serrano: Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain

No 1419, Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) from Asociación Española de Historia Económica

Abstract: This working paper discusses how natural resource scarcity (aridity, in the case of Spanish agriculture) encouraged the process of frontier expansion defined by Barbier, meaning the exploitation of new, relatively abundant resources (water) for production purposes. Water for irrigated agriculture was obtained from both ground sources, identified as 'vertically downward' sources (i.e. wells, which were mainly funded by private initiative), and 'horizontally extensive' surface sources, such as dams and canals, primarily paid for by the public sector. Although the processes involved in obtaining water can be traced back over the centuries, it was really not until the 20thcentury when they became truly important. The growthof agricultural production was deeply influenced by this process. The main result is the mismatch between areas of high current agricultural productivity, and better initial endowment of natural resources.

Keywords: Palabras clave: Natural resources and economic growth; Irrigated agriculture; Spanish economic history; Spanish agricultural history. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: N54 Q15 Q25 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 29
Date: 2014-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-his
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ahe:dtaehe:1419

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