Analysis on Local and Community Development in Ecuador, 2020-2025
Keywords:
local development; community development; Ecuador; strategies; systematic reviewAbstract
Introduction: Local and community development in Ecuador has garnered increasing academic attention over the last five years, within a context defined by decentralization, the post-pandemic crisis, and the search for sustainable, locally-grounded alternatives. This review article aims to analyze the primary local and community development strategies documented in research published in SciELO and Scopus between 2020 and 2025, identifying their methodological approaches, findings, and contributions to the well-being of Ecuadorian communities. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, analyzing a final corpus of empirical studies and reviews. Results: The findings reveal a diverse range of strategies, including community empowerment, citizen participation in local governance, participatory budgeting, community-based enterprises, the popular and solidarity economy, community-based tourism, the *minga* (an ancestral organizational structure), community savings and credit cooperatives, and models for sustainable productive development. Discussion: The research consistently indicates that local development in Ecuador is a multidimensional process, shaped by power dynamics, structural conditions, and cultural factors. The evidence suggests that there is no “one-size-fits-all” formula for community development; rather, strategies must be adapted to specific territorial realities. Conclusions: While there is a substantial body of knowledge on this subject, gaps persist between institutional design and community practice, alongside limitations regarding access to financing and technical training. This review provides an up-to-date synthesis that can inform public policy and future research in the field of territorial development in Ecuador.
References
Bazurto, Y. N., & Saltos, G. M. (2024). Presupuesto participativo y su incidencia en la gestión del Gobierno Autónomo Descentralizado Municipal del cantón Portoviejo. Revista Espacios, 45(5), 10. https://doi.org/10.48082/espacios-a24v45n05p10
Cajilema-Quijosaca, G., Ayaviri-Nina, D., Chiriboga-Zamora, P., Romero-Flores, M., & Guzman-Condori, D. (2025). Los actores locales y el desarrollo territorial. Un estudio en Alausí, Ecuador. Espacios, 46(3), 29. https://doi.org/10.48082/espacios-a25v46n03p29
Chimbolema Coro, L. H., & Castro Medina, A. J. (2025). Las cajas comunitarias como estrategia alternativa de desarrollo local. Comunidad de Balda Lupaxí, Cantón Colta, Ecuador. LATAM Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, 6(6). https://doi.org/10.56712/latam.v6i6.5009
Farra, C. G., & Bates, B. R. (2026). Mobilizing the structure of minga: A Culture-Centered Approach to development in a rural cantonal capital in Ecuador. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 19(4), 608–631. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513057.2025.2550283
Farfán Pacheco, L. K., Alvarado Vanegas, B., & Espinoza Figueroa, F. (2024). Superando la adversidad: resiliencia del turismo en la ruralidad durante la COVID-19? Comunidades en el sur de Ecuador como marco de estudio. Investigaciones Turisticas, (28), 103-126. https://doi.org/10.14198/INTURI.24969
Guerrero Estupiñán, D. C., & Arteaga Coello, H. S. (2026). Caracterización de la participación ciudadana en el desarrollo local del cantón Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Revista San Gregorio, 1(65). https://doi.org/10.36097/rsan.v1i65.3838
Maldonado Pacheco, B. P., & Carrasco-Tenezaca, M. (2025). Sembrando futuro: Transformación y progreso en las comunidades rurales de Cariamanga. Revista Científica UISRAEL, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.35290/rcui.v12n2.2025.1337
Maldonado-Erazo, C. P., del Río-Rama, M. C., Miranda-Salazar, S. P., & Tierra-Tierra, N. P. (2022). Strengthening of community tourism enterprises as a means of sustainable development in rural areas: A case study of community tourism development in Chimborazo. Sustainability, 14(7), 4314. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074314
Paipayales. (2024). University-community partnership contribution towards rural sustainability: Participatory action research in the rice farming community of Paipayales, Ecuador. Rural Sustainability Research, 51(346), 66–80. https://doi.org/10.2478/plua-2024-0007
Perero Panchana, Alexis Manuel, & Balladares Atoche, César. (2026). El empoderamiento como estrategia para el desarrollo social en Ecuador: una revisión sistemática. Revista InveCom, 6(2), e602119. Epub September 30, 2025.https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17113961
Perero Panchana, A. M., & Balladares Atoche, C. (2025). El empoderamiento como estrategia para el desarrollo social en Ecuador: una revisión sistemática. Revista InveCom, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17113961
Represa-Pérez, F., et al. (2024). El museo-parque arqueológico de Ligüiqui como propuesta participativa para un desarrollo comunitario sostenible (Manta, Ecuador). Revista del Museo de Antropología, 17(3), 155–170. https://doi.org/10.31048/h116cj95
Rivera Vera, H. F., Vila Pérez, O. L., & Pino Alonso, J. R. (2025). Diseño de un modelo de fomento productivo sostenible para promover el desarrollo local en comunidades rurales de Ecuador. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 10, 01–12. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2025-2007
Simbaña-Tasiguano, M. V., Grefa-Shiguango, H. R., Cabascango-Chiliquinga, E., Sánchez-Cortez, J. L., & Rodríguez-Calvopiña, M. F. (2025). Bottom-up communitarian collaborative actions in the Napo Sumaco Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark territory: Implications for sustainable development. Environment, Development & Sustainability, 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-025-06235-8
Zambrano Mieles, J. D., Zambrano Burgos, V. R., & Mieles Cevallos, D. (2024). Los emprendimientos comunitarios y su impacto en el desarrollo económico, social y cultural del Ecuador: Una revisión sistemática de la literatura. Ciencia Latina Revista Científica Multidisciplinar, 8(6). https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v8i6.14671
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jazmin Adelaida Reyes Perero
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content, based on the principle that offering the public free access to research helps a greater global exchange of knowledge. Each author is responsible for the content of each of their articles.
Universidad de Oriente 