The values of water

What values of water are articulated in Dutch strategy documents for foreign aid and trade?

Over the last decade, the values of water have received attention both on a global level and in the Netherlands. These values include the full range of functions, benefits, (dis-)services, and risks associated with water, be it cultural, economic, environmental, or social. Such values are at the core of how people think about and relate to water, how important they consider water to be, and how they (wish to) manage and use water.

This report makes three contributions to this topic. First, it synthesises a selection of studies on the diverse values of water, including reports from UN-Water and IPBES. Second, based on that synthesis, it proposes a conceptual framework to identify values of water in the content of a document. We considered specific values of nature as applied to water, which could provide information on the expressed importance of water. Third, it presents an identification of the values of water that are present in nine Dutch strategy documents for foreign aid and trade (dating from 2022 to 2025).

The strategy documents emphasise that water benefits humans

Frequently mentioned examples include access to (or lack of) drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene as well as other (dis-)services of water to society, development, and the economy. These values, known as instrumental values, can be both positive (e.g. supporting health or food production) or negative (e.g. water scarcity or pollution). Interestingly, instrumental values are not only linked to water as a physical resource; the documents also highlight the value of water-related knowledge and expertise, and what such know-how enables.

Other values of water remain, at best, implicit

Water is a prominent policy theme throughout the strategy documents, yet often chosen for predominantly instrumental reasons. Although the documents contain some indications of non-instrumental values of water (known as intrinsic and relational values), these are scarce and do not articulate such values explicitly.

The mentions of water-related actors are limited

Other than the Netherlands as a country and the Dutch water sector, mentions of water-related actors as acting or exerting influence are limited, despite various mentions of water-related conflicts. This is notable, since these water-related conflicts play out on an international level.

Building blocks for future research

The three contributions of this study offer building blocks for future research. These contributions can be applied to examine whether strategy documents, related initiatives, programmes, and instruments are effective, efficient, or in line with international principles for valuing water.

Authors

PBL Authors: Graciela Luteijn Machteld Schoolenberg Clara Veerkamp Sabine de Haes Anteneh Dagnachew Lucy Oates

Specifications

Publication title: The values of water
Publication subtitle: What values of water are articulated in Dutch strategy documents for foreign aid and trade?
Publication date: 16 February 2026
Publication type: Report
Page count: 89
Publication language: English
Product number: 5460