Building a dam without water? Unraveling paradoxes and modernization discourses in Morocco, the case of El Hajeb Province (Saïss Plain, Morocco)

Over the past six years, Morocco has experienced a series of droughts, putting water users under increasing pressure. In response to shifting hydrological patterns, the kingdom has implemented various measures, including building new dams across the country. This paper focuses on the Saïss Plain, where—despite severe water scarcity—management practices and related discourses remain anchored in an infrastructure–based policy. Specifically, we examine how current decision–making reflects a particular vision of water management as a means of modernizing the country and how this assumption shapes discursive practices. Drawing on theoretical frameworks related to modernization and critical discourse analysis, and grounded in extensive empirical data collection, this study seeks to explain ongoing political choices and water management strategies. It further demonstrates that, despite the lack of water, the discourse of modernization through water remains hegemonic.