Work

Injustice flows along Itaya River: capabilities from living with river rhythmicity in Bajo Belén, Iquitos, Peru

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In riverine contexts shaped by seasonal fluctuations, communities cultivate ways of living with water that reflect deep social and ecological entanglements. This study focuses on Bajo Belén, a peri-urban community along the Itaya River in the Peruvian Amazon, where residents live with vaciante (dry season) and creciente (flood season) through practices that sustain their livelihoods. Using a braided approach by weaving living with river rhythmicity, the Capabilities Approach, and Environmental Justice, we analyze 41 storytelling sessions (2022–2024). Our findings show drought and flood processes; and how community capabilities are built through living with the river, yet remain unrecognized in state responses such as forced relocation. This non-recognition leads to non-inclusive procedures and an unequal distribution of blame and responsibility. We argue for governance that respects plural ways of living and supports community-defined aspirations. Situating care, recognition, and capability within river governance offers new pathways for more just, relational, and adaptive responses to environmental uncertainty.

Source: Sustainability Science

DOI: 10.1007/s11625-025-01771-y