UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Understanding rivers and their social relations: A critical step to advance environmental water management

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.1002/wat2.1381

Authors

Elizabeth P. Anderson · Sue Jackson · Rebecca E. Tharme · Michael M. Douglas · Joseph E. Flotemersch · Margreet Zwarteveen · Chicu Lokgariwar · Mariana Montoya · Alaka Wali · Gail T. Tipa · Timothy D. Jardine · Julian D. Olden · Lin Cheng · John C. Conallin · Barbara A. Cosens · Chris W. S. Dickens · Dustin Evan Garrick · David Groenfeldt · Jane Eleuter Kabogo · Dirk J. Roux · Albert Ruhí · Angela H. Arthington

Reported year

2019

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:04:47.935812+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:18:05.556820+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Charles Darwin University · Charles Sturt University · Environmental Protection Agency · Field Museum of Natural History · Florida International University · Government of Tanzania · Griffith University · IHE Delft Institute for Water Education · International Water Management Institute · Ministry of Water and Irrigation · Nelson Mandela University · Scientific Services · South African National Parks · The University of Western Australia · University of Amsterdam · University of California, Berkeley · University of Idaho · University of Oxford · University of Saskatchewan · University of Washington · Wildlife Conservation Society

Reported affiliation countries

AU · CA · GB · NL · TZ · US · ZA

Documentary abstract — original language

River flows connect people, places, and other forms of life, inspiring and sustaining diverse cultural beliefs, values, and ways of life. The concept of environmental flows provides a framework for improving understanding of relationships between river flows and people, and for supporting those that are mutually beneficial. Nevertheless, most approaches to determining environmental flows remain grounded in the biophysical sciences. The newly revised Brisbane Declaration and Global Action Agenda on Environmental Flows (2018) represents a new phase in environmental flow science and an opportunity to better consider the co-constitution of river flows, ecosystems, and society, and to more explicitly incorporate these relationships into river management. We synthesize understanding of relationships between people and rivers as conceived under the renewed definition of environmental flows. We present case studies from Honduras, India, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia that illustrate multidisciplinary, collaborative efforts where recognizing and meeting diverse flow needs of human populations was central to establishing environmental flow recommendations. We also review a small body of literature to highlight examples of the diversity and interdependencies of human-flow relationships-such as the linkages between river flow and human well-being, spiritual needs, cultural identity, and sense of place-that are typically overlooked when environmental flows are assessed and negotiated. Finally, we call for scientists and water managers to recognize the diversity of ways of knowing, relating to, and utilizing rivers, and to place this recognition at the center of future environmental flow assessments. This article is categorized under: Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness Human Water > Water Governance Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W2971951001

DOI

10.1002/wat2.1381

HANDLE

10072/388555 · 10948/2016623

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

article

Natural entities mentioned

River · Ecosystem

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

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2 · Record 3 · Record 4

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1381
• Handle · https://hdl.handle.net/10072/388555
• Handle · https://hdl.handle.net/10948/2016623
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W2971951001

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:w1502933567 · CITES
• openalex:w1545828902 · CITES
• openalex:w1555935903 · CITES
• openalex:w1594944235 · CITES
• openalex:w1600949150 · CITES
• openalex:w1712969469 · CITES
• openalex:w173425611 · CITES
• openalex:w1863278106 · CITES
• openalex:w1917260924 · CITES
• openalex:w1925078616 · CITES
• openalex:w1965766536 · CITES
• openalex:w1974605687 · CITES
• openalex:w1974663497 · CITES
• openalex:w1985925500 · CITES
• openalex:w1989320682 · CITES
• openalex:w1992731809 · CITES
• openalex:w1996950224 · CITES
• openalex:w2005314684 · CITES
• openalex:w2011468910 · CITES
• openalex:w2012205755 · CITES

22 incoming references within the detected corpus

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

This identity is not yet included in the Legal Library.