Notions of Drought: Nomadic Economy and Tribal Community in Eastern Morocco

This study is about drought. At the same time, it is about a community of nomadic livestock producers in the drylands of eastern Morocco. Drought is connected to these Arab pastoralists in numerous ways. In fact, it is impossible to understand the social and economic dynamics currently unfolding in the high plateaus without understanding what drought is and does. Even though defining drought may seem straightforward, it turns out that vastly different notions coexist within the study area, each related to a specific constellation (or assemblage) of actors. In this dissertation, I explore those notions of drought and the assemblages they are entangled with, focusing on key elements of the livestock economy and the tribal community. I hope this study will contribute to knowledge on three levels. First and foremost, empirically: I collect and connect knowledge on an under-studied and marginalized pastoral community in rural Morocco. My insights stem from qualitative and quantitative fieldwork, including a household survey. The second level is methodological: by deploying actor-network theory and assemblage thinking, I tap into theories that have largely been absent from studies of the Middle East and North Africa. As my assemblage approach to drought in eastern Morocco demonstrates, this can generate innovative insights into processes of socio-economic transformation. And third, on a conceptual level, I propose a new way of thinking about drought – a phenomenon of pressing global concern far beyond the high plateaus of eastern Morocco