ABSTRACT
Water management in Peru is historically linked to the process of nation-state formation. During the early times of the Republic in the 19th century, modernization of the water sector took place to guarantee large-scale agricultural production from haciendas and large landowners. During the mid-1900, big construction works ensured water supply to increase the agricultural frontier. Neoliberal transformations in the water sector occurred during 2000 to promote private investment through infrastructural megaprojects for agroindustry. One of the first mega hydraulic projects in Peru, the Olmos Tinajones Project for irrigation and hydroenergy illustrates how water governance is captured by powerful economic interests that cement power imbalances and unequal access to water.
