Beyond being a material resource of multiple functions (drinking water, irrigation, etc.), water also relates to so-called intangibles. Intangibles are benefits and costs that are more subjective and not quantifiable, but often hinder effective and sustainable adaptation to a changing environment. One prominent example is when mega projects like dams or water canals are presented as a “contribution to the Peace Dividend” or to “national identity”, while local-scale adaptive measures and cooperation, which have been shown to be crucial for sustainable resource management and the avoidance of tipping points, do not receive the same attention and often remain invisible and underfunded. This project examines if, when, and how intangibles are instrumentalized for overcoming opposition to contested water projects in a context of a rapidly changing climate. To this end, this project explores questions like how intangibles are communicated and framed; which kinds of underlying values – and value conflicts – are embedded in these narratives?