Investigación transdisciplinaria en acción en América Latina y el Caribe

This case study collection, published by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), documents seven transdisciplinary research projects across Latin America and the Caribbean. It serves as a training resource for the IAI's TD Academy, focusing on integrating scientific knowledge with local and indigenous systems to address global environmental change (GEC). The document emphasizes 'epistemic justice' and the shift from 'ecosystem services' to 'nature's contributions to people' (NCP) to better reflect non-monetary values of nature.

• The MAP-Fire project in Peru, Brazil, and Bolivia developed a multi-actor adaptation plan to mitigate forest fire risks in the Amazon, utilizing a georeferenced platform and translating technical remote sensing data into accessible formats, such as the book 'É Fogo!', for primary students.
• In Panama, a community ecological monitoring project with Ngäbe populations in the San San Pond Sak and La Amistad International Park areas focused on training locals to track key taxonomic groups (freshwater fish, birds, and land mammals) to empower the community and protect biodiversity.
• The Jamaican Women in Coffee (JAWiC) project addressed gender imbalances in the Blue Mountains coffee industry by providing practical training in soil management, organic farming, and pest control to women farmers in Saint Thomas and Saint Andrew.
• The community conservation program in El Limón, Mexico, within the Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve, successfully integrated traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and sustainable forestry through a long-term partnership between the community and the University of Morelos.
• The Sanear Amazônia project in Brazil implemented community-based public sanitation technologies in the Amazon, reducing diarrhea morbidity by an average of 65% and intestinal parasite morbidity by 22% in initial communities.
• In Uruguay, a participatory project in the Solís Grande stream basin led to the creation of a departmental protected area through a 'territorial approach' and 'collective synthesis' strategy, involving over 10 organizations and local residents.
• The social water management process in Colombia's Coello and Cucuana river basins used participatory action research to empower citizens, leading to the 2017 popular consultation in Cajamarca that prohibited the La Colosa mine project by AngloGold Ashanti.
• A synthesis of the seven cases identifies critical success factors for transdisciplinary work: inclusive leadership (using 'bridge builders'), the co-creation of goals with communities, the translation of scientific results into accessible products, and the alignment of projects with broader regional strategies.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Investigación transdisciplinaria en acción en América Latina y el Caribe. https://www.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/TD%20Books/Espanol/IAI_EstudiosDeCasoTD_LibroCompleto.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Investigación transdisciplinaria en acción en América Latina y el Caribe. 2025. https://www.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/TD%20Books/Espanol/IAI_EstudiosDeCasoTD_LibroCompleto.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Investigación transdisciplinaria en acción en América Latina y el Caribe |date=2025 |url=https://www.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/TD%20Books/Espanol/IAI_EstudiosDeCasoTD_LibroCompleto.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025investigacin, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Investigación transdisciplinaria en acción en América Latina y el Caribe}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, url = {https://www.iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/TD%20Books/Espanol/IAI_EstudiosDeCasoTD_LibroCompleto.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }