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Framing water through oil: How hydrocarbons shape water governance in Algeria

Selma Benyovszky
Human Geography, School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Sciences, University of Reading, UK; s.benyovszky@pgr.reading.ac.uk

ABSTRACT: This study advances social science research on water by providing insights into the interplay between water and energy politics in Algeria, contributing to broader discussions on water governance in fossil-fuel-dependent nations. Using frame analysis, this research examines how water politics is positioned in relation to Algeria’s dependence on fossil fuels. The findings reveal that, despite policy rhetoric emphasising water as a national priority, hydrocarbons remain central to the state’s political strategies. Water issues, such as access and pollution, are often viewed primarily as risks to social stability rather than as ecological challenges. Consequently, water management is dominated by short-term, reactive strategies, often aimed at mitigating social discontent rather than achieving sustainable solutions. This dynamic is evident in municipalities like El Harrach, where promises of improved water quality and access are undermined by the prevailing prioritisation of hydrocarbon interests. By examining energy-water interdependencies not only as technical linkages but as key elements of statecraft and territorial control, the article shows how water governance is shaped also through lived experiences, contested meanings, and power-laden relations embedded in its hydrosocial territory.

KEYWORDS: Water governance, hydrosocial territories, hydrocarbon sector, frame analysis, Algeria