Ontological politics in river defence debates: Unpacking fields of contention in eco-centric and non-human turns

• Published in: Water alternatives Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 649 - 668
• Main Authors: Rutgerd Boelens, Lena Hommes, Jaime Hoogesteger
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Water Alternatives Association 01-10-2024
• Subjects: eco-centrism; environmental justice; non-human turn; ontological politics; rights of rivers; subjectification
• ISSN: 1965-0175

In response to capitalist territorial transformations, humans’ predatory subjection of nature, and worldwide socio-environmental injustices, a diverse set of eco-centric, other-than-human, and indigenous worldview-inspired perspectives have emerged in water debates and practices. Rights of Nature (RoN) and Rights of Rivers (RoR) approaches are examples of this. But while these 'river ontological turns' hold exciting conceptual and political potential, they also invite critical reflection. Proponents often advance these new ontological perspectives and initiatives as being more 'real' and 'natural' than what came before. We challenge this notion by conceptualising such perspectives, similar to all ontological framings, as politically contested entrances to imagining and ordering the real. We argue that these new and alternative ontological understandings of the world – and their related initiatives – are politically produced, culturally enacted, and strategically mobilised. In effect, they contribute to the constitution (or contestation) of particular power relations. Focusing specifically on river debates, we identify and explore the following fields of contention that arise in and from alternative eco-centric and nonhuman ontological turns: the god-trick; naturalisation; de-centring the human; mystifying/essentialising indigeneity; and subjectification-through-recognition. By discussing these fields of contention, we call for a repoliticisation of the recent river (and other related) ontological turns, their underlying assumptions, and conceptualpolitical tendencies. Such critical scrutiny can contribute to enriching local/global struggles for riverine environmental justice.