Patterns of injustices in water allocation mechanisms in the Brazilian Amazon: Palm oil expansion and the reshaping of hydrosocial territories

Abstract

This study examines how state mechanisms for water allocation and enforcement shape patterns of injustice in water management among various actors in the Brazilian state of Pará, particularly in the context of palm oil production expansion. Our aim is to broaden the analysis of agribusiness expansion and its impact on water resources beyond agricultural practices and socioeconomic impacts. Therefore, we analyze water injustices by mapping water governance, analyzing the distribution of water resource permits, verifying the recognition of local communities’ ways of relating to rivers and water bodies, and analyzing political representation in decision-making processes regarding water governance. Our results reveal that weak water governance and the distribution of water use permits are reconfiguring hydrosocial territories, reinforcing power asymmetry relationships, and benefiting agribusiness interests at the expense of local communities. This, in turn, has adverse effects on water pollution. Our study demonstrates how the absence of recognition and representation of diverse ways of water usage and existence in the territory in state water governance, combined with the presence of multiple actors and overlapping hydrosocial projects, can lead to conflicts and injustices.