Analysis of the Dominant Discourse on Water Resources Management in Macro- Level Documents (1978-1988) of the Country

Macro-level documents, laws, programs, and documents are of utmost importance in any country since they are the basis of planning in the executive areas at different levels of management. Amongst these executive areas, water resources management is one of the most important. The aim of this study is to analyze the discourse of macro-level documents on water management after the 1978 revolution. The statistical population of the research includes the Sixth Development Plan before the revolution (1978-1988), the Law of Equitable Distribution of Water (since 1982), and the Law of Preservation and Stabilization of the Border Rivers Banks and Beds (1983). The method of the present study is the analysis of discourse by Laclau and Mouffe method and we tried to answer these two questions; What has been the dominant discourse of the macro-level documents in the field of water resources management and What are the consequences of this discource for water resources? The analysis of these documents showed that in the period under consideration the main governing discourse is the exploitative discourse which is the main signifier and center of gravity of these documents. This indicates the full use of the country's water resources using technology and mechanization in methods of production. This discourse manifests itself in the othering the discourse of protection in these documents. The discourse of modernization versus development, and governmental versus participatory management confirms this conclusion which is approved through equivalence signs such as the use of surface and groundwater resources, attention to agriculture, employment and income generation, diging deep and semi-deep wells to supply drinking water, industry and Agriculture, increase the capacity of the country's hydropower plants, and the policy of self-sufficiency in agricultural products.