hydraulic-bureaucracy-in-a-modern-hydraulic-society

The last three decades have seen dramatic changes as increased hydraulic management has become the key to the development of the lower Mekong delta. This process has triggered the rise of new social groups, negotiating and struggling for increased access to resources and power. This paper illustrates how two such groups- the hydraulic bureaucracy and hydraulic construction groups- have emerged due to the growing need for water resources management in the delta and how they have set up alliances for mutually sharing resources. Furthermore, it is shown how both groups have adapted their resource‐oriented strategies and actions to respond to the changes in the economic and political environment in Vietnam’s recent history.