In search of a policy-relevant science through a hydrosocial and sociohydrological study of water management trends: insights from the Middle East

Governments nowadays claim to follow the science in tackling disasters caused by extreme events, such as floods and droughts. It is further argued that these “scientific” approaches are “objective” and “value-free,” embracing a plurality of the latest findings by integrating multiple disciplines and research methods. However, since the feedback between social and physical processes makes human-water systems highly complex, two worldviews have historically formed in the scientific community to address the complexities of water-related issues through different lenses. Although both camps claim to consider the interactions between humans and water, one focuses more on the physical and hydrological aspects, while the other emphasizes the social and cultural dimensions of water. This dichotomy has led to unintended consequences. For instance, large-scale water infrastructure, such as dams, supported by the physical-response camp, while reducing the frequency of hydrological extremes, also created safe-development paradoxes (e.g., reservoir and levee effects). As a result, global water management trends are increasingly shifting away from big water projects towards dam removals and free-flowing rivers. However, at least in certain regions, dam-building activities still prevail and dominate the policy agenda. Against this backdrop, this research examines why there is a tendency (at least in certain geographies) to continue the so-called “hydraulic mission”—an engineering-only approach to water management where policymakers believe that hydraulic structures can solve the problems—despite the known environmental and socio-economic costs. Since these problems and solutions are defined with particular language based on specific scientific conventions and utilize “models” which are the result of assumptions and decisions that are inherently subjective, studying these narratives—not just neutral representations of water-related issues but instruments of power—can help reveal the contradictions and paradoxes of hydraulic projects. Inspired by the Q methodology, a qualitative-quantitative research approach that allows for the identification of distinct perspectives on a topic of interest, the research uses discourse analysis to understand different stakeholders' views (policymakers, environmentalists, engineers, and local communities).From the analysis, the study will ultimately try to identify potential approaches for more harmonized cooperation among different stakeholders in the water sector to minimize uncertainties and unintended consequences.