Durable instabilities of home: Rain, terrain, and governance assemblages in Medellín, Colombia

Abstract

This paper explores the interplay between rain, landslides, and local governance, highlighting their roles in shaping the precariousness of homes of lower-income residents in Medellín. Building on literature that positions “natural” disasters as human-made or exacerbated phenomena, and on semi-structured interviews as well as media analysis, the paper examines how rain and its associated risks serve as socio-spatial markers in the narratives of the residents, journalists and planners. A key finding is that geomorphological instability, coupled with extreme weather events, disproportionately affects residents with lower social status in the community. This situation is exacerbated by the ongoing urbanization activities of criminal actors in the area. I seek to explore which of these threats is perceived as more significant and how, according to the interviewees, these challenges are interrelated. The paper argues that the physical terrain fundamentally influences socio-political struggles, shaping the legitimacy of authority while simultaneously embodying a tension between the expected safety of home and the destabilizing realities of displacement. It introduces the concept of “dwelling in limbo,” where home-making reflects a dynamic balance between adaptability to immediate conditions and a future-oriented endurance against ongoing threats. Through this lens, the research elucidates how governance assemblages contribute to sustained socio-material insecurity, offering insights into the lived experiences of communities affected by environmental and socio-political challenges.