Just Aquatic Governance: The Amazon basin as fertile ground for aligning participatory conservation with social justice

Abstract

Governance of natural resources in the Amazon has changed over time, especially when it comes to participatory regimes. Yet these regimes have rarely focused on the conservation of aquatic systems or have failed to fully deliver social justice. Participatory regimes in the Amazon basin that rely on the provision of freshwater ecosystem services can potentially favour transformative and just conservation. A framework referred to as the ‘Just Aquatic Governance’ model is proposed to organize and facilitate the transition of continuing and future endeavours that seek conservation while also supporting distinct aspects of social justice. If conservation of aquatic systems can be reconciled with all aspects of social justice, then transformative and just governance regimes could emerge without further burdening those at the forefront of conservation. The Just Aquatic Governance framework is divided into three aspects of social justice, organized according to the following pillars: (i) recognitional – support for cultural diversity and the maintenance of livelihoods, including food security; (ii) procedural – the right to autonomy and territory, and support for participatory forms of governance; and (iii) distributional – promotion of gender equality and fair distribution of economic benefits. Although not a panacea, the model proposed here, which can also influence policy strategies, can potentially align both conservation demands and social aspirations in the Amazon – a historical, yet still imperative, need in the region.