In a sustainable development research context, how can the anthropological literature on social management of water be reread? This article proposes to recall-in the context of a certain number of studied societies, in cases where water management is entrusted to local users-why and how the economic argument is not primary. It will then examine the nature of a possible link between anthropology and economics, specifically identifying differences in rationales, and inviting us to take a closer look at the most enduring technical systems, in their relationship to the land and to the people who use them.
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