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Water Quality Trading Assessment Handbook
5. Stakeholder Readiness
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Water Quality Trading Assessment Handbook - Chapter 5: Stakeholder Readiness (PDF) (11 pp, 111K)
This chapter recognizes that water quality trading requires the participation of certain parties. In addition to dischargers, there are other watershed stakeholders that must be engaged in development of a viable water quality trading system. Each watershed will have a unique set of potential participants. The first step involves identifying potential participants by using tools such as a checklist of possible participants, a description of roles they may play, and a series of questions that can help evaluate how watershed conditions will influence the choice of essential participants (e.g., if agricultural reductions would be needed to generate credits, farming groups and extension agents might be essential participants). The next section summarizes some of the likely interests of various participants so that you will be better prepared to engage them. It includes a review of benefits that trading can provide where it is suited to the water quality conditions at hand, as well as several likely stakeholder needs and interests. Finally, three examples are provided of how trading programs have incorporated stakeholder participation.