MESSAGE FROM USAID



This POLICY BRIEF is a product of the Environmental and Natural
Resources Policy and Training (EPAT) Project funded by the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID).  It is part
of USAID's effort to provide environmental policy information to
decisionmakers and practitioners in developing countries.  The
objective is to encourage the adoption of economic policies to
promote sustainable use of natural resources and to enhance
environmental quality.

EPAT POLICY BRIEFS are written for development professionals and
policymakers in developing countries who are responsible for
establishing and implementing policies on the sustainable use of
natural resources and for civil servants, project officers, and
researchers who are directly involved in the implementation of
development activities.  This POLICY BRIEF discusses the
treatment of water resources as an economic good and not one that
is free for unlimited use.  The authors discuss several policy
instruments for dealing with different kinds of water problems. 
Since inadequate water supplies often constrain economic
development, policymakers need to be more aware of other economic
approaches to manage scarce water resources.

The contribution of USAID toward writing, printing, and
distributing this document is estimated to be $10,500.  The
document is being distributed to more than 2,000 policymakers and
professionals in developing countries.  We assess its
effectiveness by soliciting the views of recipients.  An
evaluation sheet is enclosed with each mailing of EPAT documents.



David Hales                       William Sugrue
Deputy Assistant Administrator    Acting Director
Center for the Environment        Office of Environment 
USAID/G/ENV                       and Natural Resources
Washington, D.C. 20523            USAID/G/ENV/ENR
                                  Washington, D.C. 20523