Gestión y uso del agua para consumo humano en tiempos de cambio climático en la comunidad de Zumbahuayco 2020-2025

Abstract

This degree project focuses on the analysis of water management and use in the face of the effects of climate change in the community of Zumbahuayco during the 2020-2025 period. Within a context of global environmental transformations, rural communities in the Ecuadorian region face significant challenges related to water availability and management, affecting daily life and productive sustainability. To understand how this locality has responded to climatic alterations, a qualitative approach based on a case study was chosen. This was conducted through techniques such as semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, complemented by a documentary review. The study was structured around a socio-environmental diagnosis to identify the vulnerability of water resources and the direct impacts on the daily lives of the rural population. Furthermore, it examined the adaptation strategies implemented by local actors in response to climate variability. The findings demonstrate that water management in this territory transcends technical aspects to become an exercise in community resistance. Faced with a lack of effective protection policies by the State and growing gaps of climate injustice that pressure water resources, the community's response lies in the strengthening of the social fabric, private initiatives, and collective management. These elements operate as the primary defense against water insecurity in the rural landscape.