Regional productive structure and water pollution in the Ebro Valley (Spain) Available to Purchase

This paper uses the input‐output methodology in order to study the water pollution associated with an economic system, through an examination of the productive relationships which link the different sectors and their involvement in the water pollution that is generated. The indicators associated with the demand models are obtained on the basis of the construction of primary pollution and return matrices. In a second stage, an analysis is made of the trade‐offs between economic and environmental variables, as a way of linking the variables to be taken into account for the purposes of environmental planning. The empirical application is made for the regions of the Ebro Valley (Spain). The results show the importance of considering the responsibility of the agriculture, livestock and food sectors for the coherent treatment of the water pollution problem.