UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

River lives, River movements. Fisher communities mobilizing local and official rules in defense of the Magdalena River

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.1080/07329113.2021.2012376

Authors

Rutgerd Boelens · Juliana Forigua-Sandoval · Bibiana Duarte-Abadía · Juan Carlos Gutiérrez-Camargo

Reported year

2021

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:04:47.840425+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:14:49.879174+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Central University of Ecuador · Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú · Pontificia Universidad Javeriana · Universidad de Los Andes · University of Amsterdam · Wageningen University & Research

Reported affiliation countries

CO · EC · NL · PE

Documentary abstract — original language

The Magdalena River, Colombia’s main river backbone, features multiple tensions and socio-environmental conflicts. They manifest themselves in the river’s ecological degradation and negatively impact the riparian communities and artisanal fishermen, whose productive activities and rights of access to water are restricted. For these communities, the river is a means of passing down and exchanging knowledge between generations. However, their knowledge and practices are not recognized in the dominant governance processes over the Magdalena River. In an interview with Juan Carlos Gutiérrez-Camargo, environmental activist, researcher and companion of artisanal fishermen, we illustrate the universe of epistemologies and worldviews of these communities. We discuss, from a legal-pluralism perspective, the contradictions between state norms and authorities, parastatal powers, and the customary rights of fishing communities. We analyze how the simultaneous presence of various authorities and the complex, unequal arena of legal, extra-legal and illegal forces, hinders enforcement of fishermen’s customary socio-legal repertoires and also of the Colombian Constitution to protect riverside communities’ human rights. The interview reflects on the great complexity of exercising community leadership, environmental protection and defense of artisanal fishing in the midst of a socio-normative political arena permeated by state abandonment and paramilitary violence. For this reason, the interview stresses the importance of recognizing artisanal fisher collectives as political subjects in river co-governance. It also highlights the ambivalent implications of granting rights to nature and rivers: their meaning, functions and impact depend on their political trajectory and mobilization by grassrooted collectives. Finally, Gutiérrez proposes strengthening knowledge networks to bolster river co-governance where the political-cultural and socio-normative frameworks of riverside communities play a preponderant role.

Identifiers

DOI

10.1080/07329113.2021.2012376

OPENALEX

W4205592223

HANDLE

11245.1/42b11dfa-def1-4fda-90c0-d8afbdb06729

OPENAIRE

doi_dedup___::c314c5fc68815bdf6a488ddb844e6feb

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

Article · article

Natural entities mentioned

River

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAIRE · Record 1

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2 · Record 3

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.1080/07329113.2021.2012376
• Handle · https://hdl.handle.net/11245.1/42b11dfa-def1-4fda-90c0-d8afbdb06729
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W4205592223

Documented bibliographic relations

Source-declared references and links; they do not establish legal support or UGLC qualification. Up to 20 outgoing references are displayed.

• openalex:w2099158390 · CITES
• openalex:w2177886724 · CITES
• openalex:w2247966235 · CITES
• openalex:w2419426351 · CITES
• openalex:w2799976519 · CITES
• openalex:w2888577097 · CITES
• openalex:w2990582739 · CITES
• openalex:w3033777385 · CITES

10 incoming references within the detected corpus

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

This identity is not yet included in the Legal Library.