La grande hydraulique au service du pouvoir : l’exemple du Projet de l’Euphrate en Syrie (1966-2013)

This article in French explores the relationship of state power and irrigation projects on the Euphrates in Syria through a reading of the political economic history of this specific region and including post uprising protests. Although mass protests swept across most of Syria since March 2011, the Euphrates Project lands, a set of large-scale hydro-agricultural developments, remained relatively peaceful with only a small number of registered protests against the Syrian Regime. The purpose of this article is two-fold: first it points to the difference observed between this region and others via a reading of demonstration patterns in Syria; and secondly it explores the political and economic history of this region in order to hypothesize on power relations between the central Baathist state and inhabitants of the project areas.