Water as a tradable economic good Possibilities for a virtual water bonuses market in Guatemala.

Abstract

Guatemala's environmental problems sometimes need to be addressed in ways that, in developing countries, are still considered disruptive, although in more developed countries they have existed as an option for several years. This article will explore, through an exhaustive review of existing knowledge, the way in which virtual water, a simple but very useful concept, can be used, both conceptually and technically, as a tool for the possible establishment of a system equivalent to that of carbon credits, which seeks the international commercialization of water credits, in a market for water credits. The next step, and the most complex, would be to achieve the incorporation of a system of these characteristics in a developing country like Guatemala. In order to determine whether or not it is possible to establish a water bond market, the related concepts and theories will be reviewed from a hermeneutic-interpretative point of view, thus being able to count on the necessary information to answer the question of whether there is the possibility of establishing a market for water bonds in Guatemala.