The value of water in Iceland

• Published in: Issues Journal
• Main Author: Onnudottir, Helena (R14906)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Parramatta, N.S.W., Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University 2020
• Subjects: XXXXXX - Unknown; water; social aspects; Iceland; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.51142/issues-journal-2-1-2; https://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:58810

Iceland is a small nation, first settled in 874 AD. For most of its history it has been remote, situated just below the Arctic Circle. Apart from its extensive fishing grounds, Iceland’s main natural resource is water. This essay explores the changing historical importance and the contemporary value of water in Iceland. I trace cold water’s location as a free public good until the turn of the 21st century, when it came to be commodified. I show how the value of water is intrinsically tied to ecologies, changing notions of public good, and commodification.