The struggle for water in Peru : comedy and tragedy in the Andean commons / Paul B. Trawick.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Trawick, Paul B.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Water-supply--Peru--Cotahuasi River Watershed.

Water-supply.

Irrigation--Peru--Cotahuasi River Watershed.

Irrigation.

Social structure--Peru--Cotahuasi River Watershed.

Social structure.

Social conflict--Peru--Cotahuasi River Watershed.

Social conflict.

Water-supply--Government policy--Peru.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (367 p.)

Place of Publication:

Stanford, Calif. : Stanford University Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This ecological history of peasant society in the Peruvian Andes focuses on the politics of irrigation and water management in three villages whose terraces and canal systems date back to Inca times. Set in a remote valley, the book tells a story of domination and resulting social decline, showing how basic changes in the use of land, water, and labor have been pivotal in transforming the indigenous way of life. The author carries out a comparison of contemporary practices in communities that vary systematically along certain dimensions. He analyzes the communities’ similarities and differences in hydraulic organization, landscaping, water use, and other variables. Strikingly diverse patterns appear in local practice, which prove to be the key to unraveling the area’s history. The book concludes by describing the recent intensification of a water conflict. This struggle between peasants and former landlords ultimately led villagers to rise up against the national government. The story culminates in the violent intrusion of the revolutionary group known as Shining Path.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Tables and illustration

Preface: a note on theory

A note on orthography

Introduction: reading social history in a cultural landscape

One. The setting: A valley on the edge of 'the Abyss'

Two. Early history: Story of a hole on the map

Tree. Huaynacotas: irrigation and ethnicity in an indigenous community

Four. Pampamarca: Hierarchy and inequity in a colonized community

Five. Cotahuasi: domination and social decline in a hacienda district

Six. A failure of good intentions: the military's attemtpt at land reform

Seven. Failure again: water reform, drought, and the legacy of class conflict

Eight. Water in blood: irrigation improvement, corruption, and the coming of the shining path

Conclusion: The story of Irrigation in the Andes "Comedy" an tragedy in the commons

Glossary of Quechua terms

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [327]-340) and index.

ISBN:

0-8047-7899-X

1-4175-0135-9

OCLC:

54891697