Overview

The Espacio de Encuentro de las Culturas Originarias, A.C. (EECO) organization develops ecotechnologies in collaboration with local communities in Oaxaca, Mexico, to build resilience against climate change. Climate change is increasing extreme weather events such as droughts, frosts, and cyclones in this area.

EECO has helped vulnerable communities install dry toilets, energy-saving stoves, fog catchers, and irrigation systems to build resilience against extreme weather events. In 2023, it was awarded the Local Adaptation Champions Award in the Capacity Building category.

 

Details

Espacio de Encuentro de las Culturas Originarias, A.C. (EECO; translated as the “meeting space for native cultures”) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and working with vulnerable communities in Oaxaca, Mexico. This region struggles with frequent droughts, frosts, and cyclones, and has many women-led households.

EECO holds meetings with communities to understand their specific needs and educate them about novel ecotechnological solutions. The organization involves local government and community members in implementing these solutions. Materials are sourced locally so the community can replicate the ecotechnologies independently. The project has reached 15,000 people in several municipalities in Oaxaca.

 

Examples of implemented ecotechnologies

EECO has installed 808 energy-efficient stoves that reduce wood use by 50%. These environmentally friendly stoves reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and tree felling. Women are often responsible for collecting firewood, so these stoves also empower women by reducing their workloads.

Mexico is a water-scarce country, and the situation is likely to worsen with climate change. In another adaptive measure, EECO has installed 882 dry toilets in Oaxaca to increase community resilience to drought. Conventional toilets can use substantial amounts of water, but dry toilets safely and efficiently treat human waste and don’t require water. The saved water can be used for other purposes, such as drinking or irrigation.

Fog catchers are another innovative technique to deal with water scarcity. These are large, vertical structures covered in mesh, which capture and collect water from the air through condensation. EECO had installed 35 fog catchers to protect communities against droughts. When fog catchers are used in combination with Waru Waru crop fields, they also protect crops against extreme weather events.

Waru Waru is an ancient agricultural technique that uses raised beds surrounded by irrigation canals to grow crops. The water channels stabilize the soil and air temperature surrounding the crops, protecting them against both frost and heat waves. EECO created 90 Waru Waru crop fields in Oaxaca to adapt agricultural practices to climate change. In a rural community that largely relies on agriculture, these fields can buffer the economy against the effects of climate change.

 

Local Adaptation Champions Award

EECO received the 2023 Local Adaptation Champions Award in the Capacity Building category. This prize is awarded for locally led efforts to build resilience in vulnerable communities against the impacts of climate change. The €15,000 prize money will be used to document the project’s development and implementation so that other organizations can replicate these efforts.