Inequality in environmental risk exposure and procedural justice in the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin

Abstract

Abstract: Using a capabilities-based perspective on socioenvironmental justice, this paper aims to contribute to the understanding of the interconnection between social equity and care for the earth in the case of the Matanza-Riachuelo – the most industrialized and contaminated river basin in Argentina. First, it uses a spatial regression model to analyse the correlation between multidimensional poverty and potential exposure to three types of environmental risks: environmental hazards of productive establishments, open-air waste dumps, and proximity to contaminated rivers and streams. Second, it analyses inequities in the processes of resettlement of households living in conditions of extreme environmental risk in informal settlements. It shows that higher poverty areas face greater risk of exposure to open-air waste dumps but lower risk of exposure to industrial and commercial environmental hazards. It also demonstrates how enhanced participation of households in decision-making on resettlement contributed to improved outcomes.