Abstract

In this article I examine the persistence and transformation of the hydraulic mission--the drive to control and modify natural water flows to meet human needs--in post-independence Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. My central argument is that large-scale water development remains central to processes of state-building and territorialization. Contrary to claims that the hydraulic mission has declined, I show that in Central Asia it has endured, not despite political and economic ruptures, but through its capacity to be rearticulated in new discursive forms. While fiscal and institutional constraints have limited implementation, ruling elites have consistently maintained a strong commitment to hydraulic development.

Conceptually, I view the hydraulic mission as both a driver and outcome of state territorialization. Infrastructure such as dams, canals, and irrigation systems materializes state power by transforming abstract territorial claims into concrete control over biophysical space. In this sense, the state is not only an actor directing water development but is itself constituted through these infrastructural interventions.

Drawing primarily on document analysis supplemented by interviews with farmers, development practitioners, and government officials, I trace the evolution of the hydraulic mission from its Soviet origins to its contemporary reconfiguration. I demonstrate how Soviet-era irrigation and hydropower projects established enduring hydrosocial territories that continue to shape governance in both countries. In the post-independence period, the mission has been sustained through overlapping discourses: a productivist logic that frames water as an underutilized economic resource; hydronationalist narratives that cast water infrastructure as a symbol of sovereignty; neoliberal reforms that enable private-sector participation; and more recent "green" framings that align hydropower development with climate agendas.

Finally, I show that, despite being justified in terms of the national interest, the hydraulic mission frequently facilitates elite capture and accumulation. Through case studies from irrigation and hydropower sectors, I demonstrate how infrastructure is selectively mobilized to benefit politically connected actors, reinforcing uneven access to water and energy.