A political sociology perspective on the hydraulic mission in the Global South

The hydraulic mission, once considered a cornerstone of development in developed countries, is now largely viewed as outdated due to its environmental consequences. Despite these drawbacks, this approach persists as a socio-economic development strategy, particularly in the Global South, often intertwined with water nationalism and nation-state building. While political economy and geoeconomic perspectives explain the continued pursuit of the hydraulic mission, this paper proposes an additional interpretation. Specifically, certain dams constructed in upstream riparian states—often less developed and economically disadvantaged compared to their downstream counterparts—acquire symbolic significance, becoming potent emblems of national pride and fostering strong communal bonds. Analyzing these dams through a political sociology lens, we argue that these extraordinary infrastructures are perceived as a solution for countries grappling with a feeling of relative deprivation. This feeling is not merely objective; it is a historically constructed one, rooted in perceived injustices and inequitable resource distribution, and deeply embedded within the social structure. These social forces intertwine with transboundary water politics, wherein the hydraulic mission becomes an instrument for overcoming this perceived relative deprivation. This dynamic also manifests in the hydropolitical discourse of affected states, narratives of entitlement over the ownership of transboundary waters emerge. These narratives often claim that shared water resources have fueled the development of downstream states while upstream states have been unjustly deprived, and consequently, that upstream development through withholding and diverting transboundary water can achieve parity. This pattern can be observed in hydraulic infrastructures such as the Rogun Dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and the Kamal-Khan Dam. These examples share similar characteristics: upstream states are typically less developed than their downstream states, have experienced historically coerced zero-sum cooperation, or a deficiency of development stemming from prolonged conflict. These dams often have unique features that make them exceptional, such as immense storage capacities that take decades to fill or deliberate water diversions that alter the river course. While prior analyses have acknowledged the subjective dimensions of the hydraulic mission, including identity, discourse and political values, a political sociology approach highlights the impact of relative deprivation as a driving force behind hydraulic mission. This feeling explains the politicization and securitization of water discourse, which frame the elimination of deprivation and the achievement of parity as essential. It also explains nation-state building and polarized identity formation. The specific characteristics and intentional impacts of these dams, serving as emblems of national pride and dignity, are also explained by the theory of relative deprivation. Furthermore, responses to relative deprivation can lead to transboundary water conflicts as incompatibilities emerge over resource control, endangering the water security and environmental stability of downstream states, and potentially leading to further political instability. Therefore, it is imperative to recognize, especially when upstream nations in a transboundary river basin are politically, socially and economically disadvantaged compared to downstream states, that the hydraulic mission should be understood not just in terms of socio-economic development, but also as a mechanism for addressing and alleviating a deeply ingrained feeling of relative deprivation.