Hurdles to the adoption of solar energy technologies in the Comcaac nation, Desemboque, Sonora, México, a case study

Abstract

The Comcaac nation (seri) resides mainly in two towns of the State of Sonora: Desemboque and Punta Chueca. Currently, the Comcaac people face conditions of vulnerability due to the absence of water and energy. In 2020, a project with solar energy technologies was carried out in the community of Desemboque to ensure water supply and electrical energy, financed by the Honnold foundation. However, the results of this effort have not fulfilled the expectations. What happened? Through the analysis carried out by the transdisciplinary research collective, which is made up of 16 researchers from 7 institutions, national and foreign, obstacles to the development of local sustainability were identified, and the need to expand the analysis in different dimensions is recognized. This research is developed within the context of the execution of the project with funding from FORDECYT-PRONACES 315254 "Energy, water and food security for indigenous peoples in semi-arid coastal regions of Northern Mexico". (CONACYT, 2021a).