while the instrument was initially designed for flood risk assessment it can be adapted to reflect risks of scarcity or the costs of supplying water in a water scarce region if they do not there is a risk that the supplier overspends in infrastructure development this is one of the major roles of the economic regulator in england and wales see box in the netherlands recent discussions on financing flood protection by the regional water boards indicate that expenditures should not be driven by the capacity to raise funds oecd b