Water conflicts in the Matanza-Riachuelo and Reconquista river basins. Keys to think water justice at the metropolitan scale

Abstract

Through this article we propose to think about water justice in the metropolis of Buenos Aires. To this end, we have analyzed the main vectors of socio-spatial inequality in terms of water, sanitation and flood risk on a metropolitan scale, focused on two hydrosocial territories: the Matanza-Riachuelo river and the Reconquista river basins. Regarding these territories, we are interested in problematizing the development of new meanings around water justice and the way in which they dispute the prevailing conceptions about the management of basins at different scales. To achieve these objectives, the adopted methodology was based on the triangulation of primary sources (in-depth interviews with members of territorial organizations of the mentioned basins) and secondary sources (official statistics on coverage of water and sanitation services, flood environmental indicators, etc.). Among the main conclusions, the work allowed us to realize that, although in recent years basins have become relevant as units of management and environmental policy, these initiatives fail to address water from a comprehensive approach that protects the right to health and a decent habitat.