abstract

• The collective construction of environmental management and natural resource conservation strategies can empower and reduce marginalized communities%27 material and political dependence. Local participation is key to the success of these strategies. This research applies connectivity and hydrological efficiency analyses to support local water capture and soil restoration strategies in four marginalized indigenous communities in the tropical region of Mexico. We used the connectivity index (IC) and lateral hydrological efficiency index (LHEI) to identify plots where the configuration of landscape elements favors water and sediment transfer and priority areas for intervention. We analyzed 39 water capture and soil restoration infrastructures through satellite imagery to determine the water persistence (WP) and used correlation analysis and regression trees to identify significant correlations between WP and IC/LHEI values. The data were shared with local actors through participatory workshops, and we identified 11 intervention points with similar IC/LHEI characteristics in collaboration with community residents. This approach highlighted the utility of hydrological connectivity analysis to strengthen decision-making focused on food production systems and ecosystem restoration. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
• The collective construction of environmental management and natural resource conservation strategies can empower and reduce marginalized communities%27 material and political dependence. Local participation is key to the success of these strategies. This research applies connectivity and hydrological efficiency analyses to support local water capture and soil restoration strategies in four marginalized indigenous communities in the tropical region of Mexico. We used the connectivity index (IC) and lateral hydrological efficiency index (LHEI) to identify plots where the configuration of landscape elements favors water and sediment transfer and priority areas for intervention. We analyzed 39 water capture and soil restoration infrastructures through satellite imagery to determine the water persistence (WP) and used correlation analysis and regression trees to identify significant correlations between WP and IC/LHEI values. The data were shared with local actors through participatory workshops, and we identified 11 intervention points with similar IC/LHEI characteristics in collaboration with community residents. This approach highlighted the utility of hydrological connectivity analysis to strengthen decision-making focused on food production systems and ecosystem restoration. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science%2bBusiness Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

authors

• Muñoz Robles Carlos Alfonso
• Ortíz-Rodríguez A.J.
• Reyes Hernández Humberto

publication date

• 2022-01-01

published in

• Human Ecology  Journal

keywords

• Comprehensive management; Environmental governance; Hydrological analysis; Indigenous communities; Mexico; Territorial planning conservation; decision making; environmental management; food production; governance approach; indigenous population; local participation; local planning; natural resource; territorial planning; Federal District [Mexico]; Mexico City; Mexico [North America]

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1007/s10745-022-00329-1

PubMed ID

start page

• 617

end page

• 632

volume

• 50

issue

• 4