This study examines water management policies in Jordan and Morocco through the lens of public policy analysis, moving beyond purely technical and environmental accounts of water scarcity to highlight its political and social dimensions. It argues that water policies were not neutral; rather, since independence they have functioned as a strategic instrument for territorial control and for reinforcing the stability and continuity of political authority. Using a comparative analytical approach, the study traces the evolution of dam policy, privatization choices, and the role of international financial institutions in governing this vital resource. It finds that the predominance of the neoliberal model in water governance. This shift has led to the commodification of water, transforming it from a public right into an economic good. As a result, deep social and spatial inequalities have emerged, alongside an intensifying condition of water vulnerability. The study further underscores the limited capacity of privatization to deliver sustainable development and spatial justice, and it calls for integrated public policies grounded in good governance, transparency, and societal participation, while reaffirming water as a fundamental human right.​​​