Decolonizing Water, Planetary Health, and Climate Change: Learning from the Traditional Peoples and Communities of Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This chapter examines the intersection between decolonization of water, planetary health, and impacts from climate change, focusing on lessons learned from traditional peoples and communities (TPCs) of Paraty, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. It specifically addresses the Tekoa Itaxi and Tekoa Araponga indigenous communities, Quilombo Campinho da Independência, and Paraty Mirim, a Caiçara community. The aim is to understand how these communities deal with socioenvironmental and health challenges by identifying contradictions and conflicts among the different rationalities expressed in the territory, learning from TPCs’ perspectives. We highlight the importance of decolonizing the relationship with water and recognizing traditional communities’ ancestral knowledge to ensure planetary health. These communities possess social technologies and nature-based solutions that can help mitigate the effects of global warming and reduce inequality. We conclude by summarizing the knowledge and wisdom acquired through the solutions proposed by Quilombo Campinho da Independência. *Research with traditional peoples and communities in Brazil is regulated by National Health Council (CNS) Resolutions 510 of 2016, CNS Resolution 466 of 2012, and Operational Standard 001 of 2013. The study complies with these resolutions and was authorized under case review number 5,904,783.