"Sabotage" of the Disi Water Conveyance in rural southeast Jordan : an investigation of the mechanisms constructing the phenomenon through the morphogenetic "water" justice cycle

Abstract: In opposition to most hydrological studies in Jordan, this study examines water from an interdisciplinary perspective with a particular focus on the social component. This qualitative case study was conducted over 9 weeks from December 2019 to February 2020. Extensive data was collected from various sources, while intensive data was collected through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations. A new model the morphogenetic “water” justice cycle was constructed to enable a holistic analysis and discussion of the collected data. It assisted in demonstrating how the phenomenon of “sabotage” in Jordan entails more than damage to the Disi Water Conveyance (DWC) as it is also a political instrument that enables the government to blame the communities in the Southeast when mismanagement of the pipeline occurs. Meanwhile, it removes the focus from the neglect of rural Ma'an, which triggered the rural unauthorized informal water distribution from the DWC manholes in the first place. In this sense “sabotage” acts as a crucial component of the clientelist social contract between the monarchy, the government, and the tribal communities as it allows redirection of attention away from national and local mismanagement of water.