The Razuhuillca micro-watershed in dispute: hydromorphological dynamics and territorial resistance to mining concessions in the Peruvian Andes

The Razuhuillca micro-watershed in dispute: hydromorphological dynamics and territorial resistance to mining concessions in the Peruvian Andes

The Razuhuillca micro-watershed, located in the Andean province of Huanta (Peru), illustrates the convergence of hydro-territorial fragility and socio-environmental conflict. Through a mixed-methods approach— combining quantitative morphometric analysis using GIS and DEMs with qualitative semi-struc...

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Main Authors: Bruno Kadafi Cárdenas Morales, Manuel Mendoza Colos, Santos Clemente Herrera Díaz, Solón Dante Carhuallanqui Ibarra, Walter Victor Castro Aponte, Yirme Yohu Gómez Ccochachi, Yodel Cheldo Huari Salazar, Saríah Fanny Oré Gálvez, Jorge Luis Lozano Rodríguez, Fernando Gari Huayhua Lévano, Tulio Celestino Paytan Montañez, Crispin H. W. Barnes, Luis De Los Santos Valladares
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Water
Subjects:
morphometry
Andean micro-watershed
water governance
GIS
mining concessions
socio-environmental conflict
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frwa.2025.1614847/full
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Summary:The Razuhuillca micro-watershed, located in the Andean province of Huanta (Peru), illustrates the convergence of hydro-territorial fragility and socio-environmental conflict. Through a mixed-methods approach— combining quantitative morphometric analysis using GIS and DEMs with qualitative semi-structured interviews coded in Atlas.ti—this study reveals how strategic headwater zones for water recharge overlap with both legal and illegal mining activities. These extractive pressures compromise hydrological regulation and generate spatial, cultural, and political tensions. Local communities perceive water as a sacred and relational element, and invoke Apu Razuhuillca as a territorial guardian beyond state legality. Narratives of affective territoriality, institutional distrust, and autonomous resistance—such as community patrols and demands for protection—highlight the emergence of bottom-up governance in response to extractive threats. In this context, water is not merely a resource but a symbol of identity, care, and territorial legitimacy. The findings underscore the need for a sociohydrological approach that integrates ecological indicators, spatial risk, and lived experiences. The Razuhuillca micro-watershed stands as a threatened yet defended socio-ecosystem, where technical, cultural, and political dimensions of water governance intersect.
ISSN:2624-9375

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