Socio-ecological resilience to climate change in coastal communities of Cienfuegos, Cuba: a participatory action-research approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62452/kd1rgx50Keywords:
Socio-ecological resilience, climate change, coastal communities, participatory action research, risk perceptionAbstract
Climate change poses a critical threat to coastal communities in Cuba, exacerbating socio-ecological vulnerabilities and demanding integrated adaptive responses. This phenomenon fractures socio-ecological continuity, revealing asymmetries between acute threats and previously invisible chronic processes. This article presents the results of the project "Study of Socio-ecological Resilience to Climate Change in Coastal Communities of Cienfuegos Province" (2020-2022), which applied participatory action research in eight coastal communities in Cienfuegos Province, Cuba, to diagnose vulnerabilities, assess resilience capital, and co-design contextualized adaptations. A mixed-methods approach was used, including surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and social network analysis. A markedly asymmetric perception of risk was identified. Social capital emerged as the main buffer, although its strength coexists with critically low levels of physical and financial capital. The multimodal science communication strategy successfully reshaped perceptions by increasing awareness of chronic threats. The project generated 23 articles, 8 books, and trained new researchers (graduates and master's students). It concludes that effective socio-ecological resilience requires abandoning technocratic approaches and prioritizing the dialogical co-production of knowledge, strengthening community networks, and highlighting slow-evolving risks, aligning with the Life Task and the Sustainable Development Goals.
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