Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. Advanced Introduction to Water Economics and Policy highlights various aspects of economic and policy considerations as they are applied to water decision-making and evaluation in a comprehensive and clear manner. Key Features: Presents example-based simplified descriptions of water problems and economic principles used to address them Provides examples from different countries and analysis of main water-using sectors Highlights emerging topics in water economics that address water scarcity and discusses economic and policy aspects related to the management of water at local, regional and international scales Researchers and students will appreciate the comprehensive, straightforward presentation of critical information in this Advanced Introduction that does not get lost in technical jargon.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. Advanced Introduction to Water Economics and Policy highlights various aspects of economic and policy considerations as they are applied to water decision-making and evaluation in a comprehensive and clear manner. Key Features: Presents example-based simplified descriptions of water problems and economic principles used to address them Provides examples from different countries and analysis of main water-using sectors Highlights emerging topics in water economics that address water scarcity and discusses economic and policy aspects related to the management of water at local, regional and international scales Researchers and students will appreciate the comprehensive, straightforward presentation of critical information in this Advanced Introduction that does not get lost in technical jargon.

This outstanding new book provides the most detailed and comprehensive evaluation of water reform and water sector performance from the perspectives of institutional economics and political economy. Skilfully integrating institutional theory with resource economics, and set against an exhaustive review of the theoretical and empirical literature, the authors develop an alternative methodology to quantitatively assess the performance of institutions in the context of water. This methodology is built on the principle of 'institutional ecology', the 'institutional decomposition and analysis' framework, and the 'subjective theory' of institutional change. Using this new methodology, plus information collected through an international survey of 127 water experts, the authors present a detailed empirical analysis of the process of institution-performance interaction in the water sector. Relying on the institutional transaction cost approach and an extensive cross-country review of recent water sector reforms, they also provide evidence on the relative role of various factors which influence the extent and depth of water institutional reforms in 43 countries and regions around the world. The book concludes with far reaching implications for the theory and policy of water sector reform in particular and institutional reform in general. Unique and up-to-date, this book offers an authoritative review of the important linkages between institutions and performance both in general and water sector contexts. By laying the foundations for future research and policy in this field, it will be of particular relevance and value for institutional economists, natural resource and environmental economists, political scientists, policymakers, donor agencies and students and scholars working on water-related issues.

Colleagues and friends of Dan Yaron submitted the following tributes. While each submission comes from an individual who knew Dan in a very different way, they all remark on his immeasurable contributions to the field of agricultural eco nomics, his unique approach, which combines his training and experience with his scientific background, and the admirable professionalism and civility that was apparent in every project he undertook. His work, initially inspired by the chal lenge of farmers in the arid Negev, eventually took him to the United States to work with universities and to serve on commissions furnishing his research with global applicability. Dan is not only admired for his enormous contributions to the vast body of research available in his field, but also for the commitment and dedi cation he epitomized. He will be greatly missed by those of us who were fortunate enough to make his acquaintance. ELIFEINERMAN The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel Dan Yaron, my teacher and mentor of blessed memory, was a man of wisdom, thought, counsel and deeds. His many talents, his endless energy and his ambition led him to blaze new trails in research, to ask the relevant questions while separat ing the wheat from the chaff, and to answer them while mastering the most ad vanced scientific analyses."

Drawing upon a worldwide survey of river basin organizations and in-depth studies of eight river basins in a variety of locations around the globe, this book examines how institutional arrangements for managing water resources at the river-basin level have been designed and implemented, the impetus for these arrangements, and what institutional features appear to be associated with greater or lesser success in river basin management.

Markets for Water: Potential and Performance dispels many of the myths surrounding water markets and gives readers a comprehensive picture of the way that markets have developed in different parts of the world. It is possible, for example, for a water market to fail, and for the transaction costs in water markets to be excessive. Too often water trading is banned because the water resources have been developed with public funds and the water agencies do not want to lose control over water. There is also a concern that poor farmers or households will be disadvantaged by water trading. These concerns about public resources and the poor are not very different from those that have been voiced in the past about land sales. The problem is that in many cases the poor already have limited access to resources, but this limit is not due to water trading. In fact, water trading is likely to expand the access to water for many small-scale farmers. Markets for Water: Potential and Performance provides an analytical framework for water market establishment. It develops the necessary conditions for water markets and illustrates how they can improve both water management and economic efficiency. Finally, the book gives readers an up-to-date picture of what we have learned about water markets in a wide range of countries, from the US to Chile and India.

This work presents models that characterize the relationships between quantity and quality of irrigation water application, and agricultural production and the environment. A comprehensive modeling approach addressing both the benefits of irrigation and the potential negative effects is introduced. Physical-biological concepts are combined with economic and engineering principles to demonstrate the usefulness of the model for analyzing various water management and policy issues. Decision makers on all levels should find the modeling approach interesting and useful in the management issues from the farm to national levels.

This book explores the interaction between climate change and the agriculture sector. Agriculture is essential to the livelihood of people and nations, especially in the developing world; therefore, any impact on it will have significant economic, social, and political ramifications. Scholars from around the world and from various fields have been brought together to explore this important topic. The contributions found here analyze direct agronomic effects, the economic impacts on agriculture, agricultural impacts on the economy, agricultural mitigation, and farmer adaptation. The authors argue that climate change is likely to have an extensive impact on agriculture around the world through changes in temperature, precipitation, concentrations of carbon dioxide, and available water flows. This thorough and timely volume is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in exploring the impacts of climate change in arguably the most important sector of the world economy. Economists, agronomists, and climate modelers in academia and the public sector, policy analysts and development agency staff, and graduate/postgraduate students will find this remarkable volume a welcome addition to their collection.

Globalization and recent developments in the world suggest strong relationships between local and global decisions, actions and impacts. Global-local relationships are also associated with positive and negative externalities, which necessitate policy interventions.Lecture Notes in Global-Local Policy Interactions discusses the process of building and managing a global public policy and the interaction of public policies at the global and local (national/regional) levels. This book demonstrates the global negative externalities from under-regulation of various activities by one agent/country that affect the well-being of other agents/countries, and the design of policies (agreements) to reduce the impacts of such externalities. Possible opposed interests to global policies of local stakeholders and the (local) policies they established to tackle such externalities in their jurisdictions are included as well.The book introduces concepts and principles associated with conflict, negotiation and cooperation, all of which are part of policy reform and design. It explores to various extents the global-local interactions that are related to selected global policies. Special emphasis is placed on global policies such as climate change, water, anti-terrorism, tobacco control, regulation of substances that deplete the ozone layer, desertification, and elimination of anti-personnel mines.

Water pricing to achieve conservation in scarce water resources is a major policy challenge. This book provides credible evidence from water pricing experiences in various countries around the world. The book chapters, written by experts in water pricing from various countries, documents the past 10 to 15 years of water pricing experiences in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and Spain. The book includes also several chapters that review innovations in water pricing in various countries, such as new reform mechanisms, achieving social objectives via water pricing, achieving revenue recovery, water use efficiency and customer equity, and charging the poor.

This comprehensive Handbook explores the role that economics plays in water resource use, management, and policy. The contributors cover a continuum of topics that individually and jointly represent the state of the art of water economics.Leading scholars demonstrate ways in which economic theory, tools, and analyses have been used to address a variety of water-related issues over the years and, subsequently, to create better-informed policy and management decisions. Acknowledging and building upon the seminal research related to water economics, this book offers a current and provocative exploration of a variety of topics, including: the role of institutions in developing sound water policy and water sustainability extraction, production, and use of surface water, groundwater, and recycled water, including the conjunctive use of these resources the use of water in industrial, residential, agricultural, and hydropower sectors as well as for the environment and ecosystems the role of experimental economics; methods to address climate change effects and adaptation; developments in the field of nonmarket valuation; approaches to nonpoint source pollution control and salinity pollution; issues related to water in the developing world; water and economic growth; and management of international water. The Handbook of Water Economics will prove to be an enlightening, thought-provoking, and practical read for PhD students, researchers in water economics and management, water-related agency staff, and professionals interested in water-related economic issues at the local, state, national, and international levels. Contributors: E. Ansink, K.A. Baerenklau, E.B. Barbier, R. Bark, H. Bejarano, K. Burnett, R.T. Carson, J. Connor, O.G. Davila, A. Dinar, D.P. Dupont, B. Franklin, R.Q. Grafton, K. Hansen, F. Hernandez-Sancho, H. Houba, B.H. Hurd, W.K. Jaeger, P.-O. Johansson, S. Kaplan, V. Kerry Smith, K.C. Knapp, P. Koundouri, B. Kristroem, A. Loch, M. Molinos-Senante, S.K. Pattanayak, S. Pongkijvorasin, S. Renzetti, J. Roumasset, K. Schwabe, J. Shortle, V.K.Smith, D. Squires, Y. Tsur, C.A. Wada, J. Wang, F.A. Ward, S.A. Wheeler, D. Whittington, M.-Q. (Kent) Zhao, D. Zilberman

Water scarcity due to climate change, population growth, and economic development is a critical issue in many semi-arid and arid regions around the world. Water scarcity is especially critical in regions where water is shared by several riparian states and used for competing purposes (irrigation, domestic, industry, environment, and hydropower). There is evidence that water scarcity may give rise to conflicts among the riparian states that share water basins. At the same time, there is evidence that proper arrangements among riparian states create a basis for cooperation, which is a necessary condition for economic development, food production, environmental sustainability, and poverty reduction. This book presents a collection of work presented by a group of academics and policy experts dealing with the impact of water scarcity and variability on the ability to jointly manage shared water and the derived welfare of international states and nations sharing international river basins, consisting of economics, technology, law and institutions, geography, and international relations.The book covers theoretical aspects of management of transboundary water as well as case studies from hotspots around the world. The unique aspect of this book is the multidisciplinary nature of the chapters, reflecting a new field of research that will gain popularity as water scarcity will increase over time and across regions.The chapters from the book were presented at the 'Management of Transboundary Water Resources under Scarcity: Perspectives on Agriculture and Food Security' workshop held at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, from June 22 to 23, 2015.

Increasing world demands for water call for new institutions and rules to minimize economic and political conflicts. Growing water quality problems from industry and agriculture only further exacerbate supply problems. Such conflicts can jeopardize economic and, in some parts of the world, even social order. To help understand the benefits and pitfalls of possible alternative organizations, the contributors focus on local, interregional and international cases, using a variety of economic analysis methods. Practitioners, students, and scholars will find this work a valuable resource in water policy, environmental policy, resource economics, and civil engineering.

Following the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, countries took up the difficult task of finding a common approach that would slow down the build-up of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere and delay changes to the planet's climate. A widespread concern among many of the participants in the newly formed United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was that the emission reductions needed to significantly affect climate change would cost so much that it could jeopardize the chances of a coordinated international solution. To address this concern, several flexible mechanisms were designed, including the CDM.While many applaud the CDM, others are concerned with its performance and achievements, and whether or not it will be continued beyond 2012. Critics argue, among other things, that it has not delivered on the sustainable development objective for which it was established and that projects are unevenly distributed, both geographically and sectorally.Much analysis is available on CDM, but very little comprehensive analysis, addressing various aspects of CDM is available. With a major decision for its continuation, a multi-dimensional analysis would be needed. This book is about the economic assessment of certain (not certain) CDM performances, and its future sustainability and trajectory.

Bridges over Water places the study of transboundary water conflicts, negotiation, and cooperation in the context of various disciplines, such as international relations, international law, international negotiations, and economics. It demonstrates their application, using various quantitative approaches, such as river basin modeling, quantitative negotiation theory, and game theory. Case-studies of particular transboundary river basins, lakes, and aquifers are also considered.This second edition updates the literature on international water and in-depth analyses on political developments and cooperation between riparian states. With an appended chapter on principles and practices of negotiation, and a new case study on the La Plata Basin, this edition is a timely update to the field of transboundary water studies.

The existence of environmental dilemmas and political conflicts leads us to appreciate the need for individuals and groups to behave strategically in order to achieve their goals and maintain their wellbeing. Global issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and pollution, as well as revolts and protests against corporations, regimes, and other central authorities, are the result of increased levels of externalities among individuals and nations. These all require policy intervention at international and global levels. This book includes chapters by experts proposing game theoretical solutions and applying experimental design to a variety of social issues related to global and international conflicts over natural resources and the environment. The focus of the book is on applications that have policy implications, relevance and, consequently, could lead to the establishment of policy dialogue. The chapters in the book address issues that are global in nature, such as international environmental agreements over climate change, international water management, common pool resources, public goods, international fisheries, international trade, and collective action, protest, and revolt. The book's main objective is to illustrate the usefulness of game theory and experimental economics in policy making at multiple levels and for various aspects related to global and international issues. The subject area of this book is already widely taught and researched, but it continues to gain popularity, given growing recognition that the environment and natural resources have become more strategic in human behavior.

Global change possesses serious challenges for water managers and scientists. In mountain areas, where water supplies for half of the world population originate, climate and hydrologic models are still subject to considerable uncertainty. And yet, critical decisions have to be taken to ensure adequate and safe water supplies to billions of people, millions of farmers and industries, without further deteriorating rivers and water bodies. While global warming is known to cause glaciers retreat and reduced snow packs around the world, it is not clear that mountain discharge will be lower. What is widely recognised is that water management must be adapted to accommodate significant regime changes. However, this inevitably involves managing transboundary rivers, adding further complexity to putting principles in practice.

This book takes global warming and the importance of mountain areas in world water resources as the starting point. First, it provides detailed reviews of the processes going on in several rivers systems and world regions in Europe (Rh ne and Ebro), North America (Canadian Rockies, Western US and Mexico), the Middle East (Jordan), Africa (Tunisia, Kenya and South Africa). These contexts provide case studies and examples that show the difficulties and potential for adaptation to global change. Land-use, economics, numerous modeling approaches are some of the cross-cutting issues covered in the chapters. The volume also includes the views of water practitioners, with two chapters authored by members of the US-Canada International Joint Commission, an industrialist from Western Canada and an environmental leader in Spain.

By combining a rich set of contexts and approaches, the volume succeeds in offering a view of the global challenges faced by water agencies, international donors and researchers around the world. A case is made in some chapters to seek adaptive strategies rather than trying to reduce or control resources variability. This requires factoring in land-use, social and economic aspects, especially in developing countries. Another conclusion is that complex problems can and must be posed and negotiated with the help of models, mapping techniques and science-based facts. However complex these may be, there are ways to translate them to easily interpretable and visualisations of alternative scenarios and courses of action. This book provides numerous examples of the potential of such approaches to draft environmental programmes solve transboundary disputes and reduce the economic consequences of droughts and climate instability.

Game Theory has become one of the main analytical tools for addressing strategic issues in the field of economics and is increasing its influence in other fields of social sciences. With the increased level of extraction of natural resources and pollution of environments, game theory gains its place in the literature and it is more and more seen as a tool for policy makers and not only for theoreticians.

The book is structured into four parts dealing with the management of natural resources, the negotiation aspects of water management, water allocation through pricing and markets, and how conflicts and regulation shape the management of the environment. The first part explores game theory concepts applied to fisheries and grazing lands, which are two important natural resources. In the next two parts, several game theory methodologies are considered in the negotiation approach to water management and approaches to water pricing and markets. The last section looks at environmental protection as the end process of the interplay between conflict and regulation.

This book includes chapters by experts from developing and developed countries that apply game theory to actual issues in natural resources and the environment. As such the book is extremely useful for graduate students and technical experts interested in the sustainable management of natural resource and the environment. It is also relevant to all Game Theory and Environmental Economics students.

Global change possesses serious challenges for water managers and scientists. In mountain areas, where water supplies for half of the world population originate, climate and hydrologic models are still subject to considerable uncertainty. And yet, critical decisions have to be taken to ensure adequate and safe water supplies to billions of people, millions of farmers and industries, without further deteriorating rivers and water bodies. While global warming is known to cause glaciers' retreat and reduced snow packs around the world, it is not clear that mountain discharge will be lower. What is widely recognised is that water management must be adapted to accommodate significant regime changes. However, this inevitably involves managing transboundary rivers, adding further complexity to putting principles in practice.

This book takes global warming and the importance of mountain areas in world water resources as the starting point. First, it provides detailed reviews of the processes going on in several rivers systems and world regions in Europe (Rhone and Ebro), North America (Canadian Rockies, Western US and Mexico), the Middle East (Jordan), Africa (Tunisia, Kenya and South Africa). These contexts provide case studies and examples that show the difficulties and potential for adaptation to global change. Land-use, economics, numerous modeling approaches are some of the cross-cutting issues covered in the chapters. The volume also includes the views of water practitioners, with two chapters authored by members of the US-Canada International Joint Commission, an industrialist from Western Canada and an environmental leader in Spain.

By combining a rich set of contexts and approaches, the volume succeeds in offering a view of the global challenges faced by water agencies, international donors and researchers around the world. A case is made in some chapters to seek adaptive strategies rather than trying to reduce or control resources variability. This requires factoring in land-use, social and economic aspects, especially in developing countries. Another conclusion is that complex problems can and must be posed and negotiated with the help of models, mapping techniques and science-based facts. However complex these may be, there are ways to translate them to easily interpretable and visualisations of alternative scenarios and courses of action. This book provides numerous examples of the potential of such approaches to draft environmental programmes solve transboundary disputes and reduce the economic consequences of droughts and climate instability.

Game Theory has become one of the main analytical tools for addressing strategic issues in the field of economics and is increasing its influence in other fields of social sciences. With the increased level of extraction of natural resources and pollution of environments, game theory gains its place in the literature and it is more and more seen as a tool for policy makers and not only for theoreticians. The book is structured into four parts dealing with the management of natural resources, the negotiation aspects of water management, water allocation through pricing and markets, and how conflicts and regulation shape the management of the environment. The first part explores game theory concepts applied to fisheries and grazing lands, which are two important natural resources. In the next two parts, several game theory methodologies are considered in the negotiation approach to water management and approaches to water pricing and markets. The last section looks at environmental protection as the end process of the interplay between conflict and regulation. This book includes chapters by experts from developing and developed countries that apply game theory to actual issues in natural resources and the environment. As such the book is extremely useful for graduate students and technical experts interested in the sustainable management of natural resource and the environment. It is also relevant to all Game Theory and Environmental Economics students.

This book explores the interaction between climate change and the agriculture sector. Agriculture is essential to the livelihood of people and nations, especially in the developing world; therefore, any impact on it will have significant economic, social, and political ramifications. Scholars from around the world and from various fields have been brought together to explore this important topic. The contributions found here analyze direct agronomic effects, the economic impacts on agriculture, agricultural impacts on the economy, agricultural mitigation, and farmer adaptation. The authors argue that climate change is likely to have an extensive impact on agriculture around the world through changes in temperature, precipitation, concentrations of carbon dioxide, and available water flows. This thorough and timely volume is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in exploring the impacts of climate change in arguably the most important sector of the world economy. Economists, agronomists, and climate modelers in academia and the public sector, policy analysts and development agency staff, and graduate/postgraduate students will find this remarkable volume a welcome addition to their collection.

Water resource management throughout the world is a very complicated issue, involving various aspects and dimensions and a well-coordinated set of policies. A well-designed water policy is a multi-faceted concerted intervention, which could be specific to just one set of political and physical socio-economic conditions. A framework to analyse the interaction between policy design and implementation can assist in improving both of these in various physical, economic and political situations. This book focuses on the interaction between policy making and strategic behaviour of policy makers, water users and other stakeholders, and how policy analysis and other analytical tools from the field of game theory and negotiation can improve policy design. The book presents analysis by high-level policy makers and policy analysts from various countries, to share experience regarding specific policy issues that are relevant to almost any country in the world, but may have been addressed differently in each country.

This book is an outcome from the International Expo 'Water and Sustainable Development' held in Zaragoza (Spain) in 2008. Support from the Spanish Ministry of Environment, Caja Rioja, Government of Aragon, and the World Bank is acknowledged. 'Few resources will play a more important role in shaping our economic future, or face more daunting challenges, than water. This internationally acclaimed team of experts has produced a first-rate volume that is full of intriguing, practical ideas for meeting those challenges in a rich variety of institutional settings.' Tom Tietenberg, Mitchell Family Professor of Economics, Emeritus, Colby College, USA 'This volume brings together two critical but interrelated dimensions of water challenge, i.e. water pollution, particularly from non-point sources, and water conservation. The editors are well known experts on the subject as are the contributors.' R. Maria Saleth, International Water Management Institute, Sri Lanka and Associate Editor, Water Policy 'The profound contribution of this volume is that it brings together various economic concepts and policy dilemmas regarding water shortages, non-point source pollution, efficiency of water use and irrigation technology. Recommended reading for anyone working in the area of water management.' Henk Folmer, University of Groningen and Wageningen University, The Netherlands As countries face deteriorating water and environmental quality as well as water shortages, pollution control and the efficiency of water use become of paramount importance. Agriculture is one of the main non-point polluters of water bodies and irrigation for agriculture is one of the main consumers of water. While it is very hard to regulate pollution from agriculture, attempts have been made via economic and command and control instruments, and also through investments in technologies and ecosystems recovery. Coping with non-point pollution takes the form of both policy intervention and technology development. Likewise it is recognized that irrigation efficiency varies across countries, influenced by both technology and supporting adoption policies. Countries that lead in irrigation technology and supporting policies have certain traits in common. They face very high scarcity and are pushed to find innovative solutions, both technical and policy related. The recent multibillion investments in irrigation technologies in Spain, and similar proposals in Australia, for example, highlight the potential of irrigation technologies to cope with scarcity and water quality degradation. This book reviews all of the above issues, presents experiences in selected countries, and assesses the degree of success of alternative policies for coping with non-point water pollution and improving irrigation efficiency.

Water resource management throughout the world is a very complicated issue, involving various aspects and dimensions and a well-coordinated set of policies. A well-designed water policy is a multi-faceted concerted intervention, which could be specific to just one set of political and physical socio-economic conditions. A framework to analyse the interaction between policy design and implementation can assist in improving both of these in various physical, economic and political situations. This book focuses on the interaction between policy making and strategic behaviour of policy makers, water users and other stakeholders, and how policy analysis and other analytical tools from the field of game theory and negotiation can improve policy design. The book presents analysis by high-level policy makers and policy analysts from various countries, to share experience regarding specific policy issues that are relevant to almost any country in the world, but may have been addressed differently in each country.

This comprehensive Handbook explores the role that economics plays in water resource use, management, and policy. The contributors cover a continuum of topics that individually and jointly represent the state of the art of water economics.Leading scholars demonstrate ways in which economic theory, tools, and analyses have been used to address a variety of water-related issues over the years and, subsequently, to create better-informed policy and management decisions. Acknowledging and building upon the seminal research related to water economics, this book offers a current and provocative exploration of a variety of topics, including: the role of institutions in developing sound water policy and water sustainability extraction, production, and use of surface water, groundwater, and recycled water, including the conjunctive use of these resources the use of water in industrial, residential, agricultural, and hydropower sectors as well as for the environment and ecosystems the role of experimental economics; methods to address climate change effects and adaptation; developments in the field of nonmarket valuation; approaches to nonpoint source pollution control and salinity pollution; issues related to water in the developing world; water and economic growth; and management of international water. The Handbook of Water Economics will prove to be an enlightening, thought-provoking, and practical read for PhD students, researchers in water economics and management, water-related agency staff, and professionals interested in water-related economic issues at the local, state, national, and international levels. Contributors: E. Ansink, K.A. Baerenklau, E.B. Barbier, R. Bark, H. Bejarano, K. Burnett, R.T. Carson, J. Connor, O.G. Davila, A. Dinar, D.P. Dupont, B. Franklin, R.Q. Grafton, K. Hansen, F. Hernandez-Sancho, H. Houba, B.H. Hurd, W.K. Jaeger, P.-O. Johansson, S. Kaplan, V. Kerry Smith, K.C. Knapp, P. Koundouri, B. Kristroem, A. Loch, M. Molinos-Senante, S.K. Pattanayak, S. Pongkijvorasin, S. Renzetti, J. Roumasset, K. Schwabe, J. Shortle, V.K.Smith, D. Squires, Y. Tsur, C.A. Wada, J. Wang, F.A. Ward, S.A. Wheeler, D. Whittington, M.-Q. (Kent) Zhao, D. Zilberman