dominating agricultural interests directly.
Understanding the incentives and capabilities of
rural elites may help address their concerns on a
national level in a more balanced fashion. Liberalization processes in agriculture should ideally
be guided by a strategic document that would
outline basic principles and a vision for Iranian
agricultural development. It should, therefore, be
inspired by nexus thinking, integrating sectors
and considering resource use in an integrated
way. This document should be developed in a
transparent fashion with participation from all
stakeholders involved - another important aspect
of nexus thinking. As we have seen in this paper,
the parliamentary resistance has dismantled any
reform in the agricultural sector. No plan was
presented to compensate the affected stakeholders and farmers throughout the reform process.
This weak planning stopped any real further
reductions in energy prices and groundwater
consumption. It would be useful to focus more
on considering alternative income resources for
rural livelihoods before tackling the subsidy for
electricity. In conclusion, the political economy
is an extremely important aspect of the governance of the WEF nexus in Iran at the macro and
micro levels. The promotion of rural industries
using less water could be an alternative that
should be considered in the next reform. Apart
from the reform policy on any water use management policy, the promotion of solar energy
production in rural areas and the sale of energy to
the government is a potential alternative for rural
areas that can be considered.
Acknowledgements We appreciate the useful comments
from Prof. Bernhard Brümmer and two anonymous
reviewers on this manuscript. The authors received no
financial support for the research, authorship, and/or
publication of this article. This research was conducted
during the presence of the two authours at the University
of Göttingen and Leibniz Institute of Agricultural
Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) in
Germany.
References
Acemoglu D, Robinson JA (2001) A theory of political
transitions. Am Econ Rev 938–963
Ahmadi A, Mojaradi G, Badsar M (2016) Study of socioeconomic impact of Targeted Subsidies Law on rural
households’ quality of life in Urmia Township. Agric
Ext Educ Res (in Persian) 9(3):43–54. http://jaeer.
srbiau.ac.ir/article_10378.html
Ahmadi Yazdi A (2018) Free electricity for low energy
consuming farmers. Donya-e-Eqtesad Newspaper (in
Persian).
https://www.donya-e-eqtesad.com/fa/tiny/
news-3386100, Newspaper No: 4323, News No:
3386100
Akbari A (2018) 350 thousand illegal wells. Mehrnews
(in Persian), Newscode: 4263304. https://www.
mehrnews.com/news/4263304/. Accessed 21 June
2018
Alijani F, Salarpur M, Sabuhi M (2012) Application of
CGE model on the elimination of production subsidy
in agriculture. J Agric Econ Dev (in Persian) 26
(3):218–227. https://jead.um.ac.ir/article/view/17778
Bagherzadeh A (2017) Review of electricity consumption
in Iranian agriculture (originally in Persian). Agricultural Planning, Economic and Rural Development
Research Institute (APERDRI), Tehran, Iran. http://
assc.ir/upload/upload/iranassc_masrafbarqkeshavarzi.
pdf https://assc.ir/upload/upload/iranassc_masrafbarq
keshavarzi.pdf
Balali H, Khalilian S, Ahmadian M, Pelet-Kaleh ST
(2008) Analysis of effects of energy subsidies adjustment on groundwater balance and exploitation. Agric
Res (in Persian) 8(3):85–106
Balali H, Montashloo M (2014) The effects of free energy
price on soil and water resources in agriculture;
mathematical programing approach. Appl Econ Stud
Iran (in Persian) 3(10):201–218
Bates RH (1983) Essays on the political economy of rural
Africa, vol 38. University of California Press
Behzad M (2010) Support for agriculture and industry by
electricity tariffs announcement (in Persian). TAVANIR.
https://news.tavanir.org.ir/press/print.php?id=
20361
Chitchian H (2014) Agriculture uses 92 percent of water
but produces 1/3 of possible production. IRNA News
Agency (originally in Persian). https://www.irna.ir/
news/81254583/
Chitchian H (2015a) 20 hours free electricity for pumping. Tasnim News Agency (in Persian), newscode:
1013880.
https://nasimonline.ir/Content/Detail/
1013880/152. Accessed 28 Feb 2016
Chitchian H (2015b) Farmers pay 110 Rials for electricity
instead of 800 Rials. Tasnim News Agency (in
Persian),
newscode:
667112.
https://www.
tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1393/12/08/667112.
Accessed 28 Feb 2016
Coates D, Connor R, Leclerc L, Rast W, Schumann K,
Webber M (2012) Water demand: what drives
consumption? In: WWAP (World Water Assessment
Programme) (ed) The United Nations world water
development report 4: managing water under uncertainty and risk, vol 1, pp 44–76. United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO), Paris, France
The Energy-Water Nexus in Iran …
125
Understanding the incentives and capabilities of
rural elites may help address their concerns on a
national level in a more balanced fashion. Liberalization processes in agriculture should ideally
be guided by a strategic document that would
outline basic principles and a vision for Iranian
agricultural development. It should, therefore, be
inspired by nexus thinking, integrating sectors
and considering resource use in an integrated
way. This document should be developed in a
transparent fashion with participation from all
stakeholders involved - another important aspect
of nexus thinking. As we have seen in this paper,
the parliamentary resistance has dismantled any
reform in the agricultural sector. No plan was
presented to compensate the affected stakeholders and farmers throughout the reform process.
This weak planning stopped any real further
reductions in energy prices and groundwater
consumption. It would be useful to focus more
on considering alternative income resources for
rural livelihoods before tackling the subsidy for
electricity. In conclusion, the political economy
is an extremely important aspect of the governance of the WEF nexus in Iran at the macro and
micro levels. The promotion of rural industries
using less water could be an alternative that
should be considered in the next reform. Apart
from the reform policy on any water use management policy, the promotion of solar energy
production in rural areas and the sale of energy to
the government is a potential alternative for rural
areas that can be considered.
Acknowledgements We appreciate the useful comments
from Prof. Bernhard Brümmer and two anonymous
reviewers on this manuscript. The authors received no
financial support for the research, authorship, and/or
publication of this article. This research was conducted
during the presence of the two authours at the University
of Göttingen and Leibniz Institute of Agricultural
Development in Transition Economies (IAMO) in
Germany.
References
Acemoglu D, Robinson JA (2001) A theory of political
transitions. Am Econ Rev 938–963
Ahmadi A, Mojaradi G, Badsar M (2016) Study of socioeconomic impact of Targeted Subsidies Law on rural
households’ quality of life in Urmia Township. Agric
Ext Educ Res (in Persian) 9(3):43–54. http://jaeer.
srbiau.ac.ir/article_10378.html
Ahmadi Yazdi A (2018) Free electricity for low energy
consuming farmers. Donya-e-Eqtesad Newspaper (in
Persian).
https://www.donya-e-eqtesad.com/fa/tiny/
news-3386100, Newspaper No: 4323, News No:
3386100
Akbari A (2018) 350 thousand illegal wells. Mehrnews
(in Persian), Newscode: 4263304. https://www.
mehrnews.com/news/4263304/. Accessed 21 June
2018
Alijani F, Salarpur M, Sabuhi M (2012) Application of
CGE model on the elimination of production subsidy
in agriculture. J Agric Econ Dev (in Persian) 26
(3):218–227. https://jead.um.ac.ir/article/view/17778
Bagherzadeh A (2017) Review of electricity consumption
in Iranian agriculture (originally in Persian). Agricultural Planning, Economic and Rural Development
Research Institute (APERDRI), Tehran, Iran. http://
assc.ir/upload/upload/iranassc_masrafbarqkeshavarzi.
pdf https://assc.ir/upload/upload/iranassc_masrafbarq
keshavarzi.pdf
Balali H, Khalilian S, Ahmadian M, Pelet-Kaleh ST
(2008) Analysis of effects of energy subsidies adjustment on groundwater balance and exploitation. Agric
Res (in Persian) 8(3):85–106
Balali H, Montashloo M (2014) The effects of free energy
price on soil and water resources in agriculture;
mathematical programing approach. Appl Econ Stud
Iran (in Persian) 3(10):201–218
Bates RH (1983) Essays on the political economy of rural
Africa, vol 38. University of California Press
Behzad M (2010) Support for agriculture and industry by
electricity tariffs announcement (in Persian). TAVANIR.
https://news.tavanir.org.ir/press/print.php?id=
20361
Chitchian H (2014) Agriculture uses 92 percent of water
but produces 1/3 of possible production. IRNA News
Agency (originally in Persian). https://www.irna.ir/
news/81254583/
Chitchian H (2015a) 20 hours free electricity for pumping. Tasnim News Agency (in Persian), newscode:
1013880.
https://nasimonline.ir/Content/Detail/
1013880/152. Accessed 28 Feb 2016
Chitchian H (2015b) Farmers pay 110 Rials for electricity
instead of 800 Rials. Tasnim News Agency (in
Persian),
newscode:
667112.
https://www.
tasnimnews.com/fa/news/1393/12/08/667112.
Accessed 28 Feb 2016
Coates D, Connor R, Leclerc L, Rast W, Schumann K,
Webber M (2012) Water demand: what drives
consumption? In: WWAP (World Water Assessment
Programme) (ed) The United Nations world water
development report 4: managing water under uncertainty and risk, vol 1, pp 44–76. United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO), Paris, France
The Energy-Water Nexus in Iran …
125