Water rights, investments and meanings: conflict and change in a traditional irrigation system in northern Morocco Online publication date: Fri, 15-Aug-2003
by Paul Mathieu, Olivia Aubriot, Ahmed Benali
International Journal of Water (IJW), Vol. 1, No. 3/4, 2001
Abstract: This paper starts by discussing the relationships between water rights, investment and issues of legitimacy and social relationships in traditional (farmer-created and farmer-managed) irrigated systems. External interventions to modify or ''improve'' these systems create ''stakes'' at different levels, i.e. opportunities for a change in the balances of power and wealth among the various stakeholders. What change will be considered as acceptable by the actors and actually implemented will be the outcome of a social bargaining inside the local community, and between this community and external powers (the State, funding agencies, projects). This bargaining can be analysed as determined by the history of the scheme (including the historical initial investment in the traditional system), the present balance of powers and social relationships in the community, and the ''legitimate and operational meanings'' that various actors can use in the negotiation about the new rules and water rights in the new (transformed) system.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Water (IJW):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook