Addressing social vulnerability: insights and challenges in the formulation of the local climate change program of Zapopan, Mexico

This study presents an assessment of the Municipal (local) Climate Action Program (MCAP) of Zapopan, Mexico, aiming to evaluate its impact on reducing social vulnerability. The methodology employed an institutional ethnography approach, conducted over a period spanning from 2019 to 2021, and included participant observation, interviews, and document analysis. The findings highlight the challenges of reconciling local, national, and international commitments in climate action programmes. The MCAP's adaptation measures lack contextualisation, failing to address the root causes of vulnerability. The study contributes theoretical and methodological foundations for critically evaluating local climate policies, emphasising the need to address structural vulnerability. It concludes that local climate action programmes in Mexico and other Latin American countries should be critically reviewed to prevent segregative adaptation processes that worsen existing inequalities in the local territory.