Social Indicators of Vulnerability for Coastal Communities in the Mexican Pacific: Implications for Climate Change

Marine fisheries support the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. These fisheries and the communities that depend on them are highly vulnerable to climate change and other interacting anthropogenic threats. The cumulative and synergistic effects of these stressors could potentially produce declines in fish production, which would impact artisanal fishers. Assessing relative vulnerability of fishing communities to these anthropogenic stressors is an important first step to identifying mitigation or adaptation strategies. This study assesses the vulnerability of coastal communities, defined as those within 50 km from the coast, in the Mexican Pacific, a major source of fishery resources, to disruptions in fishing activities from anthropogenic stressors, including climate change. We develop quantitative indicator indices based on secondary and primary data to assess the three aspects of vulnerability: sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity. The key components of vulnerability varied amongst communities. Vulnerability was determined by fishing dependence and socioeconomic diversification. The approach presented here provides important insights into the type of policy actions that might be needed in different communities for adaptation and mitigation.