The Interrelationship of Local and Global Events and the Changing Ecological and Socio-economic States of the Sierra Tarahumara in Chihuahua, Mexico

Abstract

The productivity decline over the past century of the Sierra Madre of western Chihuahua, Mexico has impacted present and potential socio-economic conditions, placing more pressure for extractive use of forest products. Two independent theoretical frameworks may help to understand the intrinsic relationship between ecological and social system resilience and resource access under changing global climate and trade. The Panarchy Model of Gunderson and Holling (2002) describes a human-ecological system as a continuous cycle of a changing adaptive state. Sen?s Theory of Entitlements (1981) states that poverty and famines result from inequality in resource accessibility. On-site semi-structured key respondent interviews among the Tarahumara of the Sierra Madre Occidental (Municipio de Guachochi, Chihuahua, Mexico) yielded a longitudinal (1970 - 2010) profile of socio-economic and environmental dynamics. The compilation of local knowledge uncovered the complexity of ecological and socio-economic cycles and the sometimes overwhelming influence of global and local events. Applying both theoretical frameworks revealed the adaptive resilience and vulnerabilities within this coupled human-natural system. Insight on the complexity of the dynamics of socio-economic and ecological interconnectedness, potential and access suggests the application of these frameworks would be useful to development challenges and crisis management projects in communities around the world.