Knowing with the river: Situated risks of riverine communities in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

Dominant approaches to drought and flood risk often marginalize the social and temporal dimensions of how communities experience environmental change. This study explores how three riverine communities in the Peruvian Amazon—Bajo Belén, Tamshiyacu, and El Chino—generate and act on knowledge of river dynamics to sustain livelihoods amid increasing hydrological variability. Using storytelling with 45 participants (2023–2024), and co-produced seasonal calendars, we identified risk windows or periods of heightened vulnerability when river levels misalign with local expectations. These windows provide a situated lens into how risks are interpreted and navigated through embodied, relational, and adaptive strategies. Our findings highlight the centrality of place-based knowledge and temporal attunement to sustainable adaptation, challenging technocratic risk frameworks. By reframing hydrological extremes as relational and embedded in local rhythms, the study calls for more inclusive governance that reflects the socio-cultural and ecological specificities of hydrological risks.