Vulnerability and Coping Capacity of the Population of Low Balsas to Extreme Environmental Hazards to a Sustainable Development: A Case Study of the Population of Cuitaz, Zirandaro, Guerrero

Abstract

On September 2013, hurricanes Ingrid and Manuel passed through the region of low Balsas causing great havoc. The region was also hit by the Chikungunya fever in 2015 and is considered a zone ruled by organized crime. Despite these prevailing circumstances, the present research was carried out. Following Beerman et al. (The role of institutions in the transformation of coping capacity to sustainable adaptive capacity, 2, 86–100, 2013), the present research was conducted trying to elucidate the coping strategies upon which the community had relied during the recovery from the 2013 flood and whether or not they had acquired adaptive capacities with special regard to the institutional role in it (Lebel et al. in Measuring vulnerability to natural hazards, United Nations University, Hong Kong, pp 359–379, 2006). The research highlighted social features and coping strategies of the Cuitaz, a community in Zirandaro, Guerrero which showed their strong dependence on external help to recover because of its marginalization. Results showed the lack of intervention of formal institutions to mitigate, prepare or prevent future similar scenarios. It was also found that during the reconstruction, the government could have left the population in dire need out of the programs contrary to international provisions which Mexico has signed.