The rivers in the Peruvian Amazon basin are the veins that feed the largest rainforest on the planet. They connect habitats and ecosystems and are considered a source of high biodiversity. Since before the conquest, many indigenous peoples have settled along riverbanks to be supplied with water, food, and many other ecosystem services. Furthermore, the Amazonian rivers have been the basis for the sociability of those population groups. For many years, the indigenous riverine people, such as the Kukama and the Shipibo-Conibo, have developed an empirical knowledge about the rivers from their coexistence and lifestyle. Therefore, indigenous communities have learned how to be adapted under the physical dynamics by shaping their culture. It evidenced the great understanding of rivers that communities developed over the years, endowed with affective and spiritual links, which has allowed them to be preserved for many years. As part of a scientific study of the hydrogeomorphological characteristics of the main Peruvian Amazonian rivers, it was considered important to involve indigenous perceptions and knowledge. Recognizing these views is necessary for a holistic understanding of rivers; however, these have been absent from the plans and projects developed by government institutions. “River Stories” (https://www.historiasdelrio.com) is a digital storytelling platform that supports the dissemination of indigenous cosmovision in terms of experiences, in which the knowledge, memory and spirituality are displayed. It hosts more than 100 stories from indigenous people (including children and teenagers), students, local authorities, and scientists that reveal the importance of rivers in their daily life. In this way, different perspectives of the rivers from science, civil society, and the indigenous worldview are exchanged. Integrating this knowledge is essential to highlight the vital role that rivers play at the social, cultural and environmental areas. This, especially in the current context, where multiple threats, such as infrastructure and energy projects, put Amazonian rivers at risk.

Amazonian rivers are highly interconnected and dynamic systems. Their behavior depends, to a large extent, on their geomorphology, being classified in 1) meandering rivers (MR), characterized by high rates of migration and sinuosity, and 2) anabranching rivers (AR), known for forming several permanent channels and islands. A planimetric characterization of the main rivers of the Peruvian Amazon (Huallaga, Ucayali, Marañon, and Amazonas), spanning from the Andes to the Amazon lowland region, was carried out to understand their physical dynamics. By a multi-temporal analysis from 1987 to 2017 using Landsat images, a segmentation was made for each river based on 1) the characterization of the geological valley, 2) the confluence of important tributaries, 3) changes of the main channel through the years, and 4) planimetric variables such as confinement, bend length, amplitude, sinuosity, and asymmetry. As a result, a total of 160 sections were obtained, in which a new set of 25 metrics was applied, filtered from an initial set of 31 variables and their statistics (i.e. mean, variance, kurtosis, and skewness), calculated through different approaches (i.e. half-meander, full-meander, and full-river). The variables were standardized and principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. The resulting biplot showed a distinction between AR and MR, with a shared area consisting predominantly of Marañon and Huallaga sections. The average value of sinuosity was found more associated with the MR, while higher length and asymmetry variance values were more oriented to the AR. This study also indicated the similarity in the behavior of some river sections of different types, based exclusively on their morphometric characteristics. At the same time, revealed how some sections could not be differentiated from others despite being nominally different. In this scenario, the PCA highlighted the need for a complete set of statistics that can recognize different features of these rivers, capturing greater complexity. Thus, the evaluation and segmentation of these planimetric variables, according to their planform characteristics, allows a better understanding of their dynamics, providing accurate information for coherent decision-making.

In Peru, a group of scientists are investigating the main Amazonian rivers to understand all those physical variables that define their behavior and ecological importance throughout the Amazon basin. But what happens with this information? How does it connect with the citizens and become mechanisms of valorization and conservation? “Science for Rivers” is a comprehensive educational initiative that seeks to channel all the scientific knowledge generated regarding rivers towards different actors who are linked to them. The communication strategies implemented have translated complex information in a way that is accessible and useful to all audiences. Therefore, many specialized courses and workshops have been developed for different government institutions in order to incorporate this type of knowledge into their development plans. Also, two free access web pages have been developed that show in an interactive way the multiple technical and social variables when intervening in rivers. Likewise, an educational graphic proposal was implemented through social media where information about the rivers is shared with a simple and playful language. Appropriating this knowledge at different levels is fundamental to guarantee policies coherent with this ecosystem, as well as to forge a citizenry that knows, values and cares for its rivers.

Through time rivers move, create erosion, deposit sediments and, consequently, change their shape, however, these movements are different for each river, since each one has specific characteristics and dynamics. While small movements occur every day, it takes us months, years, decades, or even centuries to notice those changes. As rivers are the fundamental sources of life in many cities, towns, and communities, and even determine geopolitical limits, it is more important than ever to understand the dynamics that involve them. Dancing Rivers is a visualization platform that characterizes river patterns and positions the importance of scientific studies of the Amazonian rivers. It includes and displays information about the research, analysis and methodology developed to characterize planimetric morphodynamics (spatial analysis with remote sensing) and altimetry features (description of river bedforms and sediment transport) of major Amazonian rivers: Marañon, Huallaga, Ucayali and the Amazon, with the purpose of disseminating and getting a better understanding of their physical dynamics, allowing stakeholders and researchers to make wise decisions involving the water resource and territorial planning.