Sustainable Environmental Education, Multidimensional Vulnerability, and Climate Change: A Necessary Integration at the Local Level in the Municipality of Guamá

Abstract

According to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), in 2023, Latin America and the Caribbean were affected by 67 climate events—a reality from which Cuba is not exempt. In this context, multidimensional vulnerability at the territorial level reduces the population’s capacity to cope with climate change. One such territory is Guamá, a coastal municipality whose vulnerability demands a more sustainable environmental education (SEE) focused on collective adaptation to the effects of climate change. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess the relationship between SEE and multidimensional vulnerability in the face of climate change impacts in the municipality of Guamá, Santiago de Cuba. To achieve this objective, the research employed survey and interview methods. The survey sampled 100 individuals from a total population of 2,897 families in the municipality. The interviews were conducted with 20 families experiencing multidimensional vulnerability in the area. The main findings of the research reveal regional climate variations such as increased drought periods and reduced fishing yields. In addition, vulnerability conditions that place families in unequal positions to adapt to climate change are highlighted, including habitat deterioration, subjective immunity, and insufficient capacity-building. It is concluded that SEE must integrate multidimensional vulnerability into its field of knowledge dialog in order to promote more ecological social practices at the local level.