Applied Research in Geographical Sciences

Applied Research in Geographical Sciences

Social Analysis of Water Conflicts (Living in the Shadow of Water Scarcity: Lived Experience in Eastern Mazandaran)

Articles in Press
Authors
Sadegh Salehi
Hadis Feli
Ahmad Rezaie
Mazandaran University
Abstract
“In recent years, the water crisis in Iran has gone beyond an environmental concern and has evolved into a multidimontion issue. Eastern Mazandaran, despite having relatively abundant surface water resources, faces local conflicts over access to and distribution of water between upstream and downstream villages. These conflicts, beyond the mere scarcity of resources, reflect perceived injustice, the breakdown of trust, and transformations in social bonds.This study aims to understand and interpret people’s lived experiences of social conflict over water in this region, using an interpretative phenomenological approach and seeks to analyze the effects of water conflict on perceptions of justice, security, and local identity. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 people (15 residents of the villages involved in the water dispute and five technical experts), and analyzed using a three-level thematic analysis. Thematic network analysis was employed, and through a six-step analytical process, a thematic network was constructed.Within this network, fifteen basic themes were condensed into three organizing themes-“Injustice in the flow of water and distrust in relationships,” “Environmental anxiety,” and “Social rupture and collapse of local solidarity”-and one overarching global theme, “Social conflict over water.”These themes indicate that conflict over water serves not only as a source of material disputes but also as a catalyst for profound transformations in the sense of belonging, coexistence ethics, and social trust. Accordingly, the findings highlight the necessity of rethinking water resource management policies, emphasizing perceived justice, inter-village dialogue, and the integration of Sociological and cultural dimensions in adaptation plans for water scarcity.
Keywords
lived experience
social conflict over water
interpretative phenomenology
perceived justice
Social Trust
Eastern Mazandaran
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Applied Research in Geographical Sciences

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 March 2007