ABSTRACT
In Morocco, colonial and post-colonial water and land development policies have played an important role in shaping national perceptions of water availability. Government policy is tinted by the colonial desire to transform the Moroccan landscape and its resources. The French increasingly realized that one of Morocco’s main problems was the erratic and unpredictable rainfall patterns: the country had abundant sources of water but they were untamed and therefore largely unexploited. More than anywhere in the Middle East, in Israel political ideology has played a central role in the development and management of the country’s water resources. Even before the creation of the independent state of Israel, Zionist leaders in Europe made the quest for water in Palestine a priority. The quest for the development and acquisition of water resources continued to play an important role in the definition of national policy after Israel’s independence in 1948.
