Water rights become exclusive only where scarcity makes access costly
Evidence
Rights of access to water depend primarily upon its abundance and the ease with which it can be utilized. Only where water is not freely available, and where the expenditure of much labour and effort is required before it can be used, are exclusive rights asserted and maintained, if necessary, by force. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 65
Categorization
- XREF: Echoes a classic Hardin/commons dynamic and connects to later chapters on inter-clan and inter-state water disputes in the Horn. — connects to: Excessive property rights can block beneficial use rather than enable it — , The Braided Reading EPUB: 5-Year…, 2284; Enclosure extends beyond land to privatization of formerly shared services like water. — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse,…, 1367; Prior appropriation doctrine subsidized industry by letting water be taken free — Lawrence M. Friedman, A History of American Law, 2135 (+1 more)