Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2026, Göttingen "Towards multi-functional agro-ecosystems promoting climate-resilient futures"

Community capitals as enabling conditions for climate adaptation of rural livelihoods in northern of Guatemala

¹Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), Guatemala
²Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), Costa Rica
³The Alliance of Bioversity International & CIAT, Colombia

Abstract

Northern Guatemala is home to the Lachuá ecoregion, a karst landscape characterised by high precipitation and extensive evergreen and semi-evergreen tropical forests, recognised as a Ramsar Site. This region is inhabited by Q’eqchi’ Indigenous communities whose livelihoods are increasingly affected by climate change, within a context of limited information on their socioecological vulnerability.The objective of this study was to develop climate adaptation strategies through the characterisation of livelihoods and the assessment of their socioecological vulnerability.

A mixed participatory approach was applied in three communities, combining workshops (n=9) and semi-structured surveys (n=7). Using the “Uniendo Saberes” (CATIE) methodology, livelihoods were analysed alongside their vulnerability based on exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, incorporating community capitals as key dimensions. A comparative matrix was also used to prioritise adaptation measures.

The results indicate that drought and increasing temperatures are the main climate threats. Subsistence-based staple crop systems show higher exposure, with delays of up to two months in maize production cycles. In contrast, commercial crops such as cardamom and cocoa exhibit phenological changes, reduced yields, and increased pest incidence. Vulnerability varies among communities and is associated with differences in built, financial, and political capital, with financial capital emerging as the main constraint to adaptation.

Priority measures include agroforestry systems, water harvesting, drought-tolerant crop varieties, watershed restoration. This study provides relevant inputs for climate adaptation planning in rural territories by highlighting that higher levels of financial, physical, and institutional capital are associated with greater adaptive capacity and lower relative vulnerability, as they facilitate access to resources, infrastructure, and decision-making processes. Conversely, deficits in these capitals, combined with constraints in human and social capital, contribute to increased vulnerability, particularly in subsistence-based livelihoods. These patterns influence access to resources and adaptation opportunities, underscoring the need for more inclusive and context-specific adaptation strategies.

Keywords: Climate change adaptation, community capitals, livelihoods, vulnerability

Contact Address: Dilia Diaz, Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE), 5ta calle 12-35 zona 2, Coban, Guatemala, e-mail: dilia.diazcatie.ac.cr