Local perception and adaptive strategies to climate variability in the southeast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

The main objective of this study was to analyze the perception of climatic variability and the different local adaptation strategies of four communities in the south of the Yucatan Peninsula, using the Social-Ecological System... [ view full abstract ]

The main objective of this study was to analyze the perception of climatic variability and the different local adaptation strategies of four communities in the south of the Yucatan Peninsula, using the Social-Ecological System (SES) approach. Four SES were considered: two in the coastal zone and two in the tropical forest zone. Data were collected using qualitative methods and triangulation of the information collected from each site was conducted, allowing comparison of the results using different methodological tools. The results show that the interviewees in the four cases studied perceive “less rain and more heat” in their surroundings. In the tropical forest zone (or Maya Zone), the main productive activity affected by climatic variability is the production of milpa. In this zone, an indigenous ancestral system for predicting the weather was recorded, known as “Xook k’íin” (or “las cabañuelas”). In the coastal zone, the main activities affected are fishing and tourism. In all cases analyzed, the local adaptive strategies to the effects of climatic variability include undertaking alternative work, changes to the calendar of daily, seasonal and annual labor, and seasonal migration. In both zones, the interviewees expressed concern about changes in the climate that affect their production and recognize the uncertainty they face with regard to these changes and possible future changes and impacts.