Riviersorama

Riviersorama is a term used in environmental humanities and related art-science disciplines to denote a multidisciplinary approach to studying and representing rivers and riverine ecosystems. It emphasizes immersive engagement with river environments and aims to integrate natural processes with cultural and historical narratives.

The word blends the French rivière (river) with the suffix -orama, echoing panorama to signal a broad, panoramic view that encompasses landscape, hydrology, wildlife, and human meaning across time.

Its practice spans fieldwork, documentary media, and textual analysis. Methods commonly include hydrological and ecological observation, long-term monitoring, and the production of extensive audiovisual sequences, soundscapes, and mapped data that reveal seasonal dynamics, flood regimes, and sediment transport alongside riverine livelihoods and memory.

Riviersorama is expressed as documentary film, photographic series, installation, or interactive atlas projects. It is used in academic research, public exhibitions, and environmental advocacy to foster understanding of river systems, resilience, and the cultural significance of waterways.

Reception acknowledges its potential to synthesize science and narrative but warns against over-romanticization or data gaps if not anchored in empirical methods. Proponents argue that riviersorama can broaden public engagement with river change and inspire stewardship.

See also environmental humanities, river studies, landscape documentary, panorama.