Power and the River Lords

Bibliographic Data

ID3914289
AuthorsAndrew Johnson (0000-0002-0946-515X, Stockholm University, corresponding author), Andrew Alan Johnson
Year2024
Volume16
Issue3
Pages709-724
Publication date2024-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEnvironmental Humanities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2201-1919 • E-ISSN: 2201-1919
PublisherDuke University Press (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1215/22011919-11327420
OpenAlexW4404708949
LanguageEN
References cited26

The Mekong River is experiencing a crisis, with water flows and flood cycles rendered unstable owing to large-scale hydropower development in China and Laos. As communities face the radical decline of fisheries and unexpected floods and ebbs, residents and regional NGOs alike turn toward voices of moral authority and power to seek to mitigate these losses. But the kinds of authority sought out by fishers on the river are not the same as those identified by environmental groups; "spirit lords" and other divine figures enter into the conversation just as much as activists and lobbyists. In addition, these religious figures present multiple perspectives on how to live in a changed world and a model of resistance that challenges how we might see political power and its heroes

Ancient history · Physics · Political science · Power (physics · History · Philippine History and Culture · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies · Water Governance and Infrastructure

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