Land Use Change and Biocultural Heritage in Valle Nacional, Oaxaca: Women’s Contributions and Community Resilience

Gema Lugo-Espinosa, Marco Aurelio Acevedo-Ortiz (), Yolanda Donají Ortiz-Hernández (), Fernando Elí Ortiz-Hernández and María Elena Tavera-Cortés
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Gema Lugo-Espinosa: Secretaría de Ciencias, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación—Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán 71230, Mexico
Marco Aurelio Acevedo-Ortiz: Secretaría de Ciencias, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación—Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán 71230, Mexico
Yolanda Donají Ortiz-Hernández: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional, Unidad Oaxaca, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán 71230, Mexico
Fernando Elí Ortiz-Hernández: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Mecánica y Eléctrica Unidad Culhuacán, Ciudad de Mexico 04440, Mexico
María Elena Tavera-Cortés: Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Ingeniería y Ciencias Sociales y Administrativas, Ciudad de Mexico 08400, Mexico

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-21

Abstract: Territorial transformations in Indigenous regions are shaped by intersecting ecological, political, and cultural dynamics. In San Juan Bautista Valle Nacional, Oaxaca, the construction of the Cerro de Oro dam disrupted river flows, displaced livelihoods, and triggered the decline of irrigated agriculture. This study examines the long-term impacts of these changes on land use, demographics, and cultural practices, emphasizing women’s contributions to community resilience. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates geospatial analysis (1992–2021), census data (2000–2020), documentary review, and ethnographic fieldwork, including participatory mapping. Results show a shift toward seasonal rainfed agriculture, fluctuating forest cover, and a rise in female-headed households. Women have emerged as central actors in adapting to change through practices such as seed saving, agroforestry, and backstrap-loom weaving. These spatially grounded practices, enacted across varied socio-ecological zones, sustain food systems, preserve biodiversity, and reinforce biocultural memory. Although often overlooked in formal governance, women’s territorial agency plays a vital role in shaping land use and community adaptation. This research highlights the need to recognize Indigenous women’s roles in managing change and sustaining territorial heritage. Acknowledging these contributions is essential for building inclusive, culturally grounded, and sustainable development pathways in regions facing structural and environmental pressures.

Keywords: community-based adaptation; gender and territory; indigenous governance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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