Valuing Water on World Water Day
World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness for the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The day is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. Valuing Water is this year's theme. IHE Delft asked our partners and students how they value water and participates actively in online events to talk about the value of water.
Valuing water
Economic development and a growing global population means agriculture and industry are getting thirstier and water-intensive energy generation is rising to meet demand. Climate change is making water more erratic and contributing to pollution. As societies balance the demands on water resources, many people’s interests are not being taken into account. How we value water determines how water is managed and shared.
Five perspectives
The value of water is about much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for our households, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource. Valuing water can be approached through different perspectives:
- Valuing water sources – natural water resources and ecosystems.
- Valuing water infrastructure – storage, treatment and supply.
- Valuing water services – drinking water, sanitation and health services.
- Valuing water as an input to production and socio-economic activity – food and agriculture, energy and industry, business and employment.
- Valuing socio-cultural aspects of water – recreational, cultural and spiritual attributes.
Our perspectives on Valuing Water
IHE Delft colleagues Graham Jewitt, Professor of Hydrology, Hermen Smit, Senior Lecturer in Water Governance, Irene Leonardelli, Junior Researcher in the Feminist Political Ecology of Water and Yong Jiang, Senior Lecturer in Water Resources Economics discuss the term valuing water from their professional perspectives.
What Valuing Water means to our students
Interesting links on Valuing Water
- Netherlands Water Partnership world water day news letter with interview with Dutch International Water Envoy Henk Ovink.
- Learn more on the Valuing Water Initiative of the Government of the Netherlands.
- UN Water world water day Toolkit
- Webinar on the value of water: A discussion between people, governments and experts. 22 March 2021 – 3:00pm - 4:30pm CET
- OECD Water Days from 22 - 26 March. Download the agenda per day here.
- The Global Water Partnership shares 13 water changemaker stories. Read them here
Eddy Moors
Rector
