River socio-natures in Latin America: Theoretical-methodological notes

Rivers have had a central place in the Americas history, since the arrival of the first humans, until the recent past; from the extreme south to the extreme north, east and west. Running through plains and mountains, tropical jungles and desert areas, reaching the sea or disappearing in the heart of the land, its presence has been ubiquitous. Through historical environmental investigation of its influences, uses, representations, conflicts and technical interventions; we will give an account of some approaches to the understanding of the mutual interactions between society and water. In this presentation, I will review how these historical narratives have been built around water dynamics, their temporal and spatial multiscalarity, how material and biophysical characteristics of rivers have influenced social developments and the importance of power relations.