Oral presentation: Sofie Carpaij

Globally, cities are increasingly affected by climate change, with floods, heatwaves, and other extremes becoming more frequent and intense. Water poses a central challenge, in terms of both excess and scarcity. Cities respond with a variety of (adaptation) infrastructures and policy measures. However, these responses are never purely technical: they reflect historical choices and existing power-relations, often producing uneven protection and unequal influence in decision-making.

Paramaribo offers an interesting case to explore these dynamics. Much of the city lies low in the landscape, close to the Atlantic coast, and many neighborhoods regularly experience flooding. Furthermore, the city’s urban form, infrastructure, and governance have been strongly shaped by Dutch colonial planning traditions. These legacies continue to shape how flooding is understood, how solutions are designed, and whose knowledge counts in decision-making.

Against this background, the research asks: How have historical planning and governance practices in Paramaribo shaped patterns of distributive, procedural, recognition and epistemic blue justice, particularly in relation to urban flooding, and how are these legacies, including considerations of inter- and intra-generational justice, manifested and materialized in contemporary blue infrastructure and governance?

Methodologically, the study combines archival research, policy analysis, expert interviews, and participant-led walks, where residents share how flooding affects their daily lives, how they adapt, and what they know about water, place, and history. Counter-maps will link residents’ experiences with planning and flood maps, revealing lived history, intangible heritage, and community adaptation strategies.