Bringing Rivers Back to Life: Indigenous Water Management in Mexico

Speaker: Dr Adriana Flores-Díaz is an ecological biologist at the Ibero-American University, Mexico City, and currently Integral Ecology Visiting Fellow at the Laudato Si' Research Institute.

Format: In person (Lecture Room, Campion Hall).

About: Water is an element with multiple social and cultural meanings. But stress on rivers due to changing climate, increasing pollution and poor management is a major global issue. And not least in the UK where the Rivers Trust estimates that only 15% of English rivers are in good health.

Traditional ecological knowledge can offer wisdom and practical insights. Indigenous and local communities approach rivers not just as resources, but as living systems with cultural, spiritual, and ecological significance. This can be transferred into practical outcomes that are relevant to us all - including aquatic species conservation, community governance techniques and supporting a change in public attitudes.

Based on original fieldwork carried out in the territory of the Ayuuk (Mixe) people in the province of Oaxaca, southern Mexico, this lecture will explore the biophysical, spiritual, symbolic, epistemic and governance factors associated with initiatives to recover rivers as living ecosystems. It will highlight the importance of local knowledge and worldviews in understanding rivers not merely as “water pipes”, but as ecosystems that need to be brought back to life.

How to Attend: Register here to attend the lecture in person. The event will begin at 16.00 with tea and coffee; the lecture will start at 16.30.

Image: Amanalco Rivers, by FOCEN, 2025

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Host or Publisher Laudato Si' Research Institute