Voices from The Field: The Link Between Climate Change and Migration
Ñepi Behña - Mexico - Women's Empowerment
The following was written by Adriana Welsh, one of the founding members of Ñepi Behña.
Although migration has long been a strategy for survival in rural communities of Hidalgo, the patterns have been changing.
Migration has changed from something domestic and temporary - to nearby urban cities such as Mexico City or Guadalajara, for example, now to the United States for long periods of time and, on occasions, without return.
In some areas, the rains arrived late in the season. Then there were freezes that came early, destroying land and crops. This had serious consequences in the supply of staple foods like maize and beans, and family gardens. Now we are looking into recovering those family gardens and securing more seeds for families looking to replant.
"We have seen the effect of climate change - combined with economic crisis - affect food production and in turn, migration."
Adriana Welsh, Program Coordinator of Ñepi Behña.
In other areas, the hurricane season was worse than usual, causing tropical rains, strong winds, and landslides that have closed roads and isolated communities, leaving many without food or basic services, and affecting cultivation.
Finding a sustainable solution
And so, due to the lack of opportunity for employment and without the right conditions for agricultural production, many families look to migration as a strategy for survival.
I believe one of the cruelest impacts of migration has been the emotional one - being far away and separation of the loved ones is a high cost for families in these communities.
For women especially, there are challenges. They are most often left in charge of caring for children, maintaining the house and finding ways to earn income, such as selling produce in the local market. They are working double or triple shifts with more responsibilities but not always accompanied with any real decision-making power.
More recently we are seeing many migrants returning home who are unable to find work elsewhere. Yet women are still doing the majority of work, inside and outside the home.
The benefits of working together
This year we have done many activities where women's voices can be strengthened. We've conducted radio programs and roundtable discussions with indigenous women and local authorities to communicate with each other.
"We are working with families to rescue crops and local varieties of seeds to improve our diets, especially since migration had caused a huge change in our traditional diets, where we now see an increase in diabetes and malnutrition."
Adriana Welsh, Program Coordinator of Ñepi Behña and her team.
This is alongside training women as community promoters to work on low-cost eco-technologies, such as constructing water-capturing tanks. In the desert-like conditions in the area, these tanks provide potable water for both family gardens and drinking and bathing, and save women from having to carry heavy buckets long distances.
Our work with artisan cooperatives, too, means more women are mobilizing and generating their own income with the artisan products they create, such as agave fiber sponges.
This allows them to have decision-making power over their income and provides a bit more autonomy. We see more and more women empowered with their new financial independence, giving them more leverage to negotiate with their husbands.
The income generated by women has become an important part of the economy in rural areas of Mexico. Combined with women increasing local food production, the value of women's work is gaining more respect within their families and communities.
What are other IDEX partners doing to build resiliency in the face of climate change? Visit our Climate Action page.
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