in particular some countries tend to have periodic limits specifically for abstraction for irrigation purposes eg years for austria while other limits are applied to other uses in seven responses it was noted that these rights are transferable which can imply the possibility of permit ownership transfers for instance linked to a change in land ownership or may open the door for potential transactions and or markets the beneficiaries of groundwater entitlements include mostly individuals with a number of countries and regions allowing companies and collective bodies bundling groundwater with land property rights can make it more difficult for resource management as it leaves less freedom of operation for users oecd c