Abstract

DOLORES BAUTISTA, Jorge. Participatory Action Research and climate change in indigenous territories of the Huasteca Hidalguense. Relac. Estud. hist. soc. [online]. 2022, vol.43, n.171, pp.103-129.  Epub June 09, 2023. ISSN 2448-7554.  https://doi.org/10.24901/rehs.v43i171.887.

The objective of this work is to analyze the specific impacts of climate change in the Huasteca Hidalguense, an indigenous region of the state of Hidalgo that, according to the State Action Program for Climate Change (Otazo, 2011), will be the most affected in terms of temperature increase, water availability, food production and health in the decade 2020-2030. To obtain the information, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) process was carried out, culminating in the "Regional Forum on Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change in the Huasteca Hidalguense" and the workshop "Past, present and future of our territory". These activities showed that since the 1980s, a series of endogenous and exogenous impacts have been occurring in three ejidos in the municipality of Atlapexco that have impacted water availability, sanitation, deterioration of natural resources, and rising temperatures.

The unexpected irruption of the Covid 19 pandemic implied difficulties in influencing the elaboration of collaborative measures among different actors to act in the face of the impacts of this phenomenon. Despite the above, we concluded that it is necessary to promote PRA processes to strengthen water infrastructure in indigenous territories highly vulnerable to climate change to build participatory solutions to the problems identified.

Keywords : Participatory Action Research; climate change; indigenous territories; water; sanitation.