Recognizing and valuing the many faces of water

IN THIS CHAPTER WE DISCOVER THAT ‘VALUE’ is a multidimensional concept with many different meanings. The subject of valuing water is controversial and people get very emotional when they talk about it. Any discussion of value must therefore take into account people’s perception of the world and their cultural and social traditions, as well as economic considerations and notions of full cost recovery. This chapter thus touches upon a number of issues important for policy-makers: investment strategies, public-private partnerships in providing water-related services, the polluter pays principle, resource allocation, gender considerations, community participation, accountability and governance. From the examples below, it seems that there exist as many approaches to valuing water as there are societies and cultural settings, but there is a growing consensus around general principles.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Clean Water and Sanitation