The Solar Maya: Resilience and Strength in the Face of Climate Change

The solar maya of Yucatán, Mexico is an example of a sustainable agroecosystem that holds the potential to embed resilience in the livelihoods of those who utilize it. However, this traditional and indigenous system of agriculture is threatened by the immense forces of urbanization and modernization imposed on the area. I conducted research that included 14 different in-person and online interviews of academic and local personnel in Mérida and in nearby Yucatecan municipalities as well as visited seven different solares mayas, documenting my findings through audio recordings and photographs. With this collection of qualitative data, I found trends in the strengths of the solar maya in resistance to undesirable weather conditions as well as providing a buffer for those who utilize this system to sudden market shifts. However, there are several challenges that the solar maya faces, such as privatization of land, migration from rural areas to urban centers, and increased reliance on modern products and technology. The solar maya is slowly diminishing in younger generations, which could possibly extinguish this form of indigenous knowledge altogether. Despite these threats to its survival, the solar maya is a powerful example of an agroforestry system that can be resilient to moderately harsh climatic conditions and resistant to neoliberal expansions of the market.