The discursive and institutional scalar transformation of the state: (Re)Production and (re)configuration of the hydro-social territories in Iran

Abstract

The existing research on hydrosociology in Iran is mainly characterized by two approaches. The first view frames the state as the main, dominant, and even the only political actor. In contrast, the second perspective entails an abstract anthropological explorative standpoint towards nature-society interactions, excluding the state’s role—on other levels, particularly on the local scale.

By taking “politics of scale” and Historical Political Ecology (HPE) as the theoretical framework, this paper discusses how the abovementioned perspectives have led to the de-politicization of the water issue in Iran, consequently making the political mobilization for environmental emancipation impossible.

Through a critical systematic review of interdisciplinary scholarly literature and historical and legal documents over the last six decades, the study sheds light on the hegemony of these approaches and their embeddedness in the context of politico-economic and development discourses of “modernized” Iran. In so doing, the paper illustrates the discursive and institutional change of the Iranian state and the subsequent transformation of core-periphery relations, which led to new political power dynamics and mechanisms around water supply and water management in the region.

Lastly, the study discusses and emphasizes the integration of inter-scalar approaches for any eco-political contribution in Iran’s context.