Vulnerabilidad y resiliencia del microemprendimiento urbano ante riesgos económicos, sociales y climáticos

Abstract

Urban microenterprise is a structural component of livelihoods in cities in Latin America and Ecuador; however, its sustainability is conditioned by simultaneous exposure to economic, social, and climate risks. This article presents a literature review aimed at synthesizing scientific and technical-institutional evidence on the determinants of vulnerability and the mechanisms of resilience of urban microenterprises in the face of economic shocks (inflation, falling demand, credit restrictions), social risks (violence, extortion, insecurity), and climate threats (floods, landslides, infrastructure and service disruptions). Methodologically, a scoping review was conducted with a systematic search of indexed databases and gray literature, organized into a multiscale thematic synthesis that articulates the global, Latin American, and Ecuadorian contexts and the territorial emphasis on the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas and the canton of La Concordia. The results show that vulnerability is explained by a combination of financial precariousness, dependence on daily income, informality, territorial exposure, and weaknesses in infrastructure and security. Resilience also emerges from the interaction between financial capacities (recovery capital), operational capacities (continuity and adaptation), social capacities (networks and social capital), and institutional capacities (public policies, territorial planning, and risk governance). A vulnerability–resilience matrix is proposed as a synthesis tool to guide diagnoses and intervention priorities. It is concluded that strengthening the resilience of urban microenterprises requires integrated strategies that articulate climate adaptation, security, financial inclusion, capacity building, and urban infrastructure improvements, with a territorial approach and interinstitutional coordination.