Hydro-Authoritarianism: Mega-Engineering the (Semi-)Arid Regions of Central Eurasia and China

Max Spoor and Louis Thiemann

Europe-Asia Studies, 2025, vol. 77, issue 2, 278-299

Abstract: This article analyses how authoritarian governments respond to freshwater scarcity. It explores the link between mega-hydroengineering works and authoritarian governance structures, introducing the concept of hydro-authoritarianism based on four recurring patterns: centralisation of decision-making and securitisation of freshwater governance; institutional bias towards mega-engineering projects; repression of critical environmental and academic voices; and largely unconstrained (mostly domestic) finance. We conclude that the near-exclusive focus on transferring water across vast distances limits attention to the demand-driven causes of water stress. Although the article focuses on central Eurasia and China, patterns of hydro-authoritarianism have appeared wherever checks on power are undermined or absent.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/09668136.2024.2441711

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