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Socially Differentiated Urban Flood Governance in Mexico: Ambiguous Negotiations and Fragmented Contestations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2015

ANJA NYGREN
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Abstract

Cities around the world are developing new ways of governing risks and vulnerabilities. In the new flood-governance measures, technological risk-prevention is linked to programmes of social resilience and cultural adaptation. By focusing on the catastrophic floods in the city of Villahermosa, Mexico, this article argues that new flood-governance strategies rely on complicated forms of neoliberal governance, in which flood governance is turned into a matter of adaptation and self-responsibilisation, while scant attention is paid to the socio-spatial distribution of vulnerabilities. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in three socially differentiated neighbourhoods of Villahermosa, this article demonstrates how flood-governance strategies and the residents' responses to them vary across the city and how the production of flood risk is connected to the uneven production of urban space. The institutional acts of governing aim to render certain population groups governable, whilst being unable to eradicate dispersed contestation efforts.

Spanish abstract

Ciudades en diferentes partes del mundo están desarrollando nuevas formas de manejar riesgos y vulnerabilidades. En las nuevas maneras de gobernanza frente a las inundaciones, las formas técnicas de prevenir el riesgo son vinculadas a los programas de resiliencia social y adaptación cultural. Enfocando en las inundaciones catastróficas en la ciudad de Villahermosa, México, este artículo sostiene que las nuevas estrategias de gobernanza se basan en formas complicadas de gobernanza neoliberalista, donde la gobernanza del agua se convierte en un asunto de adaptación y auto-responsibilidad, mientras se le presta poca atención a la distribución socio-espacial de las vulnerabilidades. Basado en el trabajo de campo etnográfico en tres barrios socialmente diferenciados de Villahermosa, este estudio demuestra como las estrategias de gobernanza de las inundaciones y las respuestas de los residentes a ellas varían a lo largo de la ciudad, y como la producción del riesgo sobre la inundación está conectada con la producción desigual del espacio urbano. Los mecanismos institucionales de gobernanza buscan convertir ciertos grupos de población entes gobernables, mientras son incapaces de erradicar los dispersos esfuerzos de resistencia.

Portuguese abstract

Ao redor do mundo, cidades estão desenvolvendo novas formas de gerenciamento de riscos e vulnerabilidades. Nas novas medidas de governança de enchentes, tecnologias de prevenção de riscos estão ligadas a programas de resiliência social e adaptação cultural. Focando nas enchestes catastróficas ocorridas na cidade de Villahermosa, México, este artigo argumenta que as novas estratégias de gestão de enchentes contam com formas complicadas de governança neoliberal, nas quais a gestão de inundações são transformadas em uma questão de adaptação e auto-reponsabilização. Paralelamente, pouca atenção é dada à distribuição sócio-espacial de vulnerabilidades. Baseado em trabalhos de campo etnográfico em três bairros socialmente distintas de Villahermosa, este estudo demonstra como estratégias de gestão de enchentes, e as reações dos moradores a elas, variam ao redor da cidade; e como a produção de risco de enchentes está conectada à produção desigual de espaços urbanos. As ações institucionais de governo têm como meta tornar certos grupos populacionais governáveis, enquanto permanecem incapazes de erradicar esforços dispersos de contestação.

Keywords

citiescontestationfloodgovernanceMexiconeoliberalismsocial differentiationciudadesdesafíoinundacióngobernanzaMéxiconeoliberalismodiferenciación socialcidadescontestaçãoenchentegovernançaMéxiconeoliberalismodiferenciação social
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Latin American Studies , Volume 48 , Issue 2 , May 2016 , pp. 335 - 365
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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