Elasticidade-preço da demanda por água: usuário comercial do município de Araripina/PE.

Abstract

The problem of water resources is growing worldwide. In Brazil, although the amount of fresh water is higher, its distribution is irregular in time and space. The Northeastern semiarid region, due to high evaporimetric indexes and growth in demand, has the region with the highest occurrence of water scarcity in the country and conflicts of use are recurrent. In 1977, the National Policy on Water Resources was implemented, Law No. 9,433, which uses five management tools, such as raw water charges, which supports the allocation of the economic value of water. Many are the difficulties to implement the charge for the use of water, because there are no markets for this resource. The analysis of the sensitivity of the user to the increase of the cubic meter of water consumed represents a fundamental chapter within the estimation of the values to be charged. The present work refers to the calculation of one of the parameters that measures this sensitivity, the Price elasticity of demand. Micromediation data were used in urban users of the commercial sector in the municipality of Araripina / PE in Brazil. The data were provided by Pernambucana Sanitation Company (Companhia Pernambucana de Saneamento – COMPESA/PE), for the period from January 2007 to December 2015. Pairs of values (demand and price) were considered in the months of tariff increase. With the results, it was observed that, on average, the percentage variation of the demand reduction exceeded the percentage variation of the tariff increase, characterizing elastic demand. With the results, we hope to support studies on the collection of water for use in economic models.