Jurisdictional conflicts as a form of sharing practices

This paper examines Cerdagne and Sierra Nevada as irrigation societies where water management shaped both space and social organisation. Despite jurisdictional conflicts, the continuity of water use is rooted in shared practices and artefacts requiring constant maintenance. Through case studies in Barranco del Poqueira and Eyne–Llo–Saillagouse, the study explores how the use and upkeep of water conduits structure social life, resource access, and conflict negotiation. It argues that material objects and their maintenance foster social ties and that conflict can function positively in regulating access, contributing to the sustainability of collective water management systems over time.