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The category "extractivism" has gained increasing relevance in Latin American social sciences in recent years. Despite its popularity, the literature on this phenomenon has very few conceptual works, and the majority of those that exist lack a clear definition of the concept. This article aims to contribute to filling this gap. Through a narrative review of the literature, it describes its historical context of emergence, characterizes the analytical sources used in it, and identifies the most common meanings in which the category has been employed. This allows us to identify some conceptual challenges, for which an approach centered on the concept of "social metabolism" is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the different analytical methods that can be used to analyze sustainable water management and policies, the United Nations promotes the standards within the System of Environmental Economic Accounting for Water (SEEA-Water). While the SEAA-Water has been tested at sub-national levels, its implementation in urban settings is just beginning. The objective of this article is to assess the extent to which the tools available within the SEEA-Water can actually guide sustainable urban water management. A multidimensional, predominantly qualitative methodology is used. Based on the compiled SEEA-Water information and supplementary information for social aspects, the framework itself was assessed as a tool to respond to the urban sustainability challenges of growing Latin American cities. The study concludes that the implementation of the SEEA-Water at the urban level enables the compilation of information on the quantity and quality of water resources and the monetary economy of the city. This is helpful to organize information on water flows and economic productivity of water, and to detect key urban pressures on water quality. However, this framework misses relevant information needed to manage water as a holistic element intertwined with socio-environmental processes in urban areas. A key gap identified is related to issues of water equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]