This thesis is the outcome of a field research conducted in Wadi Siham, Yemen, in collaboration with the NGO TriangleGH. This research contributes to both the unravelling the various components of the wadi s water management and the enriching of the scant body of knowledge on current organisational and operational practices in spate irrigation context after the introduction of controlled irrigation systems. Hence, this work sets out to trace changes in water control and access with a particular focus on the role that the recent irrigation interventions (1995-still in progress) played in this processes of change. Furthermore, it highlights constraints and opportunities of - and drafts recommendations for - a sustainable and more equitable water management.