ABSTRACT
This chapter provides analyses of the changing values in water management in The Netherlands and in India, illustrated with examples of urban lake systems. It discusses how values of the water systems connect societies and water systems and in turn influence the water governance and vice versa. The field visits included semi-structured and open ended interviews with the stakeholders, backed up by document analysis. In total economic value (TEV) framework, Pearce and Moran divide values in instrumental value and intrinsic or passive value. The instrumental value is subdivided into direct use value, indirect use value and option value and intrinsic value is subdivided into existence value and bequest value. From the early civilization, environmental values linked to the water systems were veiled behind the socio-economic and cultural values that are linked to the direct use value. The awareness that society depends on large ecosystems of which they are part of made a contribution to the increase of the ecological value.
