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A Biocultural Ethic for Coinhabiting Mountainous Rivers

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Montology Palimpsest

Part of the book series: Montology ((M,volume 1))

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Abstract

This chapter introduces the notion of new ontologies to understand the sociobiology of rivers and to better approach a comprehensive vision of riverine waterscapes. I begin with the descriptive realities of first explorers to highlight the importance of rivers defining the meandering landscape of the plains and piedmonts along with the imposing crevasses, chasms, cleavages (fluvial, morphological, political, or otherwise dividing factors), and brooks drained through hanging valleys, gorges, and slopped terrains, the ontological dimension of fluvial discontent is presented as the dearth of harmony between the rivers and the people because of the lack of observance of the “3Hs” model. In knowing the habit of humans and other qualities, the realization of a larger riparian habitat is framed with the bioethical normative of equality and responsibility of the coinhabitants of the river ecosystem. A landmark protective approach toward fluvial sustainability is presented by analyzing the constitutionality afforded in some national laws that see rivers as sentient waterscapes, thus giving them biocultural rights and wrongs.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Gerónimo de Vivar (1558, chapter 3, pp. 8–9). English translation from Spanish by Ricardo Rozzi.

  2. 2.

    The concept of coinhabitants is central to the biocultural ethic. Just as the concept of companion alludes to sharing bread (from Latin, cum = with; panis = bread), the term coinhabitant refers to sharing a habitat. Sharing the habitat involves ecological-evolutionary processes, as well as an ethical duty and taking care of the habitat. Therefore, the concept of coinhabitant is both descriptive and normative (Rozzi, 2018).

  3. 3.

    Leonel Lienlaf (1989). Original poem by Lienlaf in Mapudungun and Spanish; English translation from Spanish by Ricardo Rozzi.

  4. 4.

    Sentencia T-622 (2016). Original in Spanish; English translation by Ricardo Rozzi.

  5. 5.

    Extracted from “El Río” (The River) by Pablo Neruda (1954). Original in Spanish; English translation by Ricardo Rozzi.

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Acknowledgments

The preparation of this chapter was supported by the Cape Horn International Center (ANID CHIC-FB210018).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA

    Ricardo Rozzi

  2. Cape Horn International Center (CHIC), University of Magallanes, Puerto Williams, Chile

    Ricardo Rozzi

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  1. Ricardo Rozzi
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Correspondence to Ricardo Rozzi .

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  1. Neotropical Montology Collaboratory, Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Fausto O. Sarmiento

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Rozzi, R. (2022). A Biocultural Ethic for Coinhabiting Mountainous Rivers. In: Sarmiento, F.O. (eds) Montology Palimpsest. Montology, vol 1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13298-8_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13298-8_13

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