Abstract
At the international scale, the synergy of traditional, local, indigenous and scientific knowledge to manage the environmental risk generated by industrial practices is recognized. However, the focus is general in scope, i.e. there is no critical engagement with the colonial knowledge systems and historical and contextual complexities present in Latin America. Based on a case study in Mexico where an urban aquifer is at potential risk of depletion by industrial development, this paper aims to propose precautionary actions, considering the knowledge of people affected by the local environment. Our used methodology is novel transdisciplinary. This brings together the principles of post-normal science and principles of the iusmaterialist perspective of human rights to generate precautionary actions identified as multi-epistemic and culturally appropriate products to make effective a set of human rights. The relevance of this research is that the novel methodology is applicable to other multicultural geographical contexts that seek to overcome the epistemic coloniality in environmental risk management and the scientists are considered as professionals promoting human rights together with the community in order to avoid paternalism.