Guiding principles for a blue curriculum in the Amazon: Territorial voices for school water education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34069/RA/2026.18.03Keywords:
Water literacy, curriculum, environmental education, systems thinking, territory.Abstract
This study aimed to identify key elements of water education in the Amazonian context, based on the perspectives of environmental leaders and stakeholders associated with the Hacha River Basin, in order to derive guiding principles for a blue curriculum in school education. A qualitative study with a descriptive and interpretive scope was conducted through 15 semi-structured interviews, complemented by a targeted documentary analysis of the Hacha River Basin Management Plan (POMCA). The information was analyzed using content analysis and inductive-deductive coding with the support of MAXQDA 2024 software. The findings show that water is recognized as a central axis of life and territoriality and suggest the relevance of water education contextualized within the ecological, social, and cultural dynamics of the basin. The comparison with the POMCA complemented participants’ perspectives with technical information related to socio-environmental problems, risk management, land use, and territorial conservation. The integration of both sources led to the derivation of six guiding principles for a Blue Curriculum, grounded in water ecoliteracy, systems thinking, the hydrosocial approach, situated learning, and an ethics of care. These principles constitute territorially grounded references for future participatory curriculum development processes in Amazonian school contexts.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ruby Ramírez-Gómez, Esther Julia Olaya-Marín, Cristian David Plaza-Pérez
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