Rural housing in the municipalities of Pacho - Cundinamarca (Colombia) and Tlatlaya

- State of Mexico (Mexico)

Vivienda rural en los municipios de Pacho - Cundinamarca (Colombia) y Tlatlaya - Estado de

México (México)

Ledys Daniela Patrón de la Cruz

Estudiante de Ingeniería Civil Universidad de la

Costa- Colombia

lpatron@cuc.edu.co

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9877-9969

Vanessa Morales Ramírez

Ingeniera Civil

Universidad Mexiquense del Bicentenario- México

vanessa_990311@hotmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8732-5673

Constanza Dorey García Puentes

Ingeniera Civil, Magister en Gestión de la

Innovación

Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios-

Colombia

cgarciap@uniminuto.edu.co

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4684-9750

Abstract

This article presents the results of the theoretical-descriptive research of documentary type, whose

objective was to make a diagnosis of housing in the municipality of Pacho - Cundinamarca

(Colombia) and Tlatlaya - State of Mexico (Mexico), from the analysis of the results of the housing

deficit in Colombia (DANE) and social backwardness in Mexico (INEGI), in addition to deepen

concepts of housing, construction systems and sustainability in different documents consulted in

databases such as Google Scholar, Scielo, Redalyc. The municipality of Pacho has approximately

8,856 homes of which 44.1% are in housing deficit and in the case of Tlatlaya there are

approximately 8,561 inhabited homes, of which 62% are estimated to be in social backwardness;

for these two municipalities there are similarities in the materials and construction systems of the

housing within which predominates the floor in earth or cement, adobe or brick walls and roofs in

sheet or asbestos-cement. From the analysis, it is possible to recognize the design and construction

processes, seeking that the houses are decent, safe, sustainable and respond to the needs of the

population, respecting the cultural and traditional aspects of each context, seeking an equitable

development in the communities of the two countries.

lpatron@cuc.edu.co

http://centrosuragraria.com/index.php/revista, Published by: Edwards Deming Institute,

Quito - Ecuador, October - December vol. 1. Num. 15. 2022, This work is licensed under

a Creative Commons License, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.es

Received February 17, 2022

Approved: May 11, 2022

Mendieta, Bonilla 2022

October - December vol. 1. Num. 15, 2022

Key words: Human Settlement, Community, Decent Housing, Sustainable Development.

Resumen

Este articulo presenta los resultados sobre la investigación teórico-descriptiva de tipo documental,

cuyo objetivo fue realizar un diagnóstico de la vivienda en el municipio de Pacho – Cundinamarca

(Colombia) y Tlatlaya - Estado de México (México), a partir del análisis de los resultados del

déficit habitacional en Colombia (DANE) y rezago social en México (INEGI), además profundizar

conceptos de vivienda, sistemas constructivos y sostenibilidad en diferentes documentos

consultados en bases de datos como Google Scholar, Scielo, Redalyc. El municipio de Pacho

cuenta con aproximadamente 8.856 hogares de los cuales el 44,1% se encuentran en déficit

habitacional y en el caso de Tlatlaya hay aproximadamente 8.561 viviendas habitadas, de las cuales

se estiman se encuentran en rezago social el 62%; para estos dos municipios se encuentran

similitudes en los materiales y sistemas constructivos de la vivienda dentro de los cuales predomina

el piso en tierra o cemento, muros en adobe o ladrillo y techos en lamina o asbesto-cemento. A

partir del análisis se logra reconocer los procesos de diseño y construcción, buscando que las

viviendas sean dignas, seguras, sostenibles y respondan a las necesidades de la población,

respetando los aspectos culturales y tradicionales de cada contexto, en procura de un desarrollo

equitativo en las comunidades de los dos países.

Palabras clave: Asentamiento humano, Comunidad, Vivienda digna, Desarrollo Sostenible.

Introduction

Professor Jesús Velázquez Lozano (2007) defines housing as an enclosed and covered space

that provides protection and security to its inhabitants from climatic agents, as well as privacy

and development of their identity, constitutes the basis of the family patrimony and must be

functional to the needs of the inhabitants. In the case of rural housing, it is defined by García

and Aristizábal (2020) as a construction that mainly provides protection for its inhabitants,

especially from climatic conditions, and also includes anthropological and psychosocial

aspects, thus relating to the natural, cultural and social context of the particular region where it

is located; its distribution and conformation of spaces depends on the needs of its inhabitants.

Therefore, apart from being a physical element that provides protection and shelter, the house

is also a scenario where the social fabric is developed and strengthened, represents the culture

and tradition of the farmers and is an agribusiness scenario.

It should be noted that the right to adequate housing is recognized in international human rights

law as an integral element of the right to an adequate standard of living. Therefore, the

habitability of housing must be guaranteed by identifying the physical, sociocultural and

environmental aspects of the areas to be built or intervened, in order to determine their

architectural, installation and structural characteristics, and ensure that they are decent,

sustainable and safe. Unfortunately, the concentration of the population in Latin America is in

the cities, which influences the adequate administrative development of the countries, since

108

these efforts are concentrated in the cities and the rural sector is somehow left behind; it is

essential to establish strategies that reduce the gaps between these two sectors, to promote

equitable development among the population and especially access to decent housing (Garcia-

Puentes and Bernal-López, 2022; Sánchez, De La Cruz-De La Cruz, López-Becerril, Arana-

Ovalle, 2021; and Garcia-Palacios and Moyano-Estrada, 2020).

On the one hand, in Colombia, according to projections of the National Administrative

Department of Statistics (DANE), there is an approximate population of 50,372,424 inhabitants

by 2020, with a territorial extension of 1,141,748,000 inhabitants, composed of 32 departments,

one of which is the department of Cundinamarca, located in the center of Colombia on a high

plateau of the eastern mountain range and covering eastern and western flanks.

km!

One of

them is the department of Cundinamarca, located in the center of Colombia in a high plateau

of the eastern mountain range and covers the eastern and western flanks of the same, has a

population of 2,792,877 inhabitants (DANE, 2020), being the fourth most populated

department of the country, it has a land area of 240.06

km!

240.06 of which 15415.94

km!

It is

composed of 116 municipalities, among which the municipality of Pacho is highlighted in this

research, which is located in the north-west of the department of Cundinamarca and has a

rugged topography, with various branches of the Eastern Cordillera that run through its territory

of 403.04 hectares, i.e., 40,304 hectares of land with a population of 2,792,892,877 inhabitants

(DANE, 2020).

km!

The administrative distribution of the area is 72 territorial spaces with

characteristics typical of the mountainous zone of the eastern cordillera defined by its altitude

in four thermal floors: Paramo, cold, temperate and warm. According to the DANE projection

(2020), it has a total population of 25,803 inhabitants, of which 14,127 live in the town and

11,676 in the town and rural areas.

On the other hand, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI),

Mexico has a population of approximately 126,014,024 inhabitants and a territorial extension

of 1,964,375,000 inhabitants.

km!"

1,964,375, and when adding the Exclusive Economic Zone

of the territorial sea, which covers 3,149,920

km!

3,149,920, the country's total surface area is

5,114,295,000 square meters.

#km!

Its political division is composed of 32 federal entities, of

which the State of Mexico is located in the central zone and is divided into 125 municipalities,

with a population of 16,992,418 people (INEGI, 2020); of this population, 87% lives in urban

localities and 13% in rural localities, with a territorial extension of 22,499,953,920.

km!

Of the

total area, 38.1% is agricultural, 34.9% forestry, 16.7% livestock, 10.3% industrial and urban;

in terms of land tenure, 40.32% is ejido. In the southwest zone of the State of Mexico is located

the municipality of Tlatlaya, which stands out in the present investigation, it is divided by the

municipal seat, 25 towns and 183 rancherías, in addition its territory amounts to 788.6

km!

The

climate in Tlatlaya is cold, temperate and warm and according to INEGI (2020) it has a total

population of 31,762 inhabitants.

The National Population and Housing Census 2018 revealed that in Colombia of the

14,060,645 households in total, 5,144,445 million households have housing deficit or social

Mendieta, Bonilla 2022

October - December vol. 1. Num. 15, 2022

lag, structural and non-structural, representing 36.59% of Colombian households. In Mexico,

according to INEGI, there are 34,892,977 homes, of which 8,504,424 have a housing deficit or

social backwardness, whether structural or non-structural, which represents 24.4% of the

homes in that country. For the department of Cundinamarca the census of households is

945,601, of which 280,849 should improve their housing conditions, which would represent a

percentage of 29.71% and for the State of Mexico with information from INEGI (2020), it was

known that there are 4,481,007 total homes, of which 639,104 should improve their housing

conditions representing 14.3% of homes in the state. It should be taken into account that, in the

municipality of Pacho there are 8,856 total households, of which 3,906 have deficiencies, in

the rural sector there are approximately 3,562 families of which 2,833 have their own housing

and 729 do not, (Alcadia municipio de Pacho, 2020). As for the municipality of Tlatlaya it was

found that there are a total of 8,561 dwellings, the average number of occupants of the dwelling

is 3.7%.

According to research, there are risk factors that affect human health in housing, such as

inadequate construction materials, inadequate water storage and consequent contamination,

among others. This is why it is important to analyze and compare the housing deficit or social

backwardness, construction systems and housing design criteria in communities, taking into

account the principles of sustainability to meet current needs and safeguard future generations.

It is worth highlighting that, the countries of Colombia and Mexico have proposed public

housing policies with the objective of adequately solving the housing deficiencies of rural

households, to ensure access to decent housing, as stated by Olvera De La Cruz Miriam

Monserrat (2018), that is, housing that allows its inhabitants to lead a healthy, safe and

sustainable life to develop a life project in the countryside; although these efforts have not been

sufficient for the population of the rural sector in the two countries to enjoy adequate minimum

conditions of habitability in their homes.

Likewise, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are tools to eradicate poverty and deal

with climate change that go hand in hand with the preservation of resources for future

generations, in this case goal 11.- sustainable cities and communities, specifically in goal 11.1,

which seeks to ensure that all housing is safe and affordable, as well as sustainable for a better

comfort of those who live in them, which should be included in the national public policy to

achieve better settlements and thus obtain a better quality of life and conserve natural resources.

In this sense, this study was aimed at carrying out a theoretical characterization of the physical,

sociocultural and environmental aspects of regions in Colombia (Cundinamarca) and Mexico

(State of Mexico) related to housing, which allows identifying in the literature the architectural,

installation, and structural characteristics of rural housing, analyzing the climatic, social and

cultural conditions in Pacho- Cundinamarca (Colombia), Tlatlaya-State of Mexico (Mexico),

from the principles of sustainability, and structural characteristics of rural housing analyzing

the climatic, social and cultural conditions in Pacho- Cundinamarca (Colombia), Tlatlaya-State

of Mexico (Mexico), from the principles of sustainability, thus allowing to classify the data

110

obtained from national, departmental or state and municipal surveys to qualify and quantify the

deficiencies of housing in the chosen municipalities.

Materials and methods

This is a theoretical-descriptive research of documentary type for which it was carried out

tracking, organization, systematization and analysis of electronic documents on housing,

housing deficit in Colombia and social backwardness in Mexico covering the period of time

between 2011 and 2021. For this purpose, the search was carried out through search channels

such as Google Scholar, Scielo, DANE, INEGI, CONAVI, CONPES, Redalyc, Gobernación

de Cundinamarca, municipality of Pacho, municipality of Tlatlaya, UAEM institutional

repository. It was possible to find important documents such as the National Population and

Housing Census in Colombia 2018, Social Gap and National Census of Mexico 2021,

Departmental or State and Municipal development plan, articles in specialized databases,

National Policy on Sustainable Buildings, undergraduate and graduate theses and previous

research that allowed to go deeper into the topics of interest. The organization consisted of

making matrices in Excel, where the information collected was recorded, in order to make a

comparative analysis of the information obtained from the two municipalities under study. For

the systematization of the search criteria, the following terms were included: Human

Settlement, Community, Decent Housing, Sustainable Development.

The sample for this study corresponded to homes located in the municipalities of Pacho-

Cundinamarca (Colombia) and Tlatlaya-State of Mexico (Mexico), where according to

national, departmental or state and municipal censuses, households with housing shortages

were identified, which allowed the classification of housing characteristics, such as wall and

floor materials, overcrowding, basic services, and other variables that were analyzed through

3 methods incorporating Excel tables, such as: Registration of documents found in the different

databases with information of interest of the topics to be addressed in the research to perform

a theoretical characterization on the physical, socio-cultural and environmental aspects of

regions in Colombia (Cundinamarca) and Mexico (State of Mexico) related to housing,

classification of qualitative and quantitative variables found for housing as architectural,

facilities, and structural characteristics of rural dwellings analyzing the characteristics of rural

dwellings, and structural characteristics of rural housing analyzing the climatic, social and

cultural conditions in Pacho-Cundinamarca (Colombia), Tlatlaya-State of Mexico (Mexico),

from the principles of sustainability, diagnosis of similarities and differences of housing in

Pacho-Cundinamarca and Tlatlaya-State of Mexico classifying the data obtained from national,

departmental or state and municipal surveys to qualify and quantify the deficiencies of housing

in these municipalities.

Mendieta, Bonilla 2022

October - December vol. 1. Num. 15, 2022

Result

Housing in Tlatlaya-State of Mexico

Rural housing in Mexico has different typologies and presents an urban morphology that is

immersed in different contexts and social realities, while most of the urban area was once rural

towns dedicated to agriculture and livestock (Torres Veytia, E., Vega Díaz, L., & Higuera

Meneses, C., 2011). Currently, rural areas are increasingly affected by not having decent

housing, from the lack of security due to houses built of wood or adobe and sheet metal that

would not withstand a natural disaster, to not having the necessary services such as electricity,

drinking water and drainage, so that the inhabitants are more prone to disease and their quality

of life is affected by these factors.

According to INEGI, a population is considered rural when it has less than 2,500 inhabitants,

while urban is that where more than 2,500 people live, in this case the National Autonomous

University of Mexico (UNAM) has addressed the analysis and prospects of sustainable rural

housing in Mexico. In this regard Vázquez (2013), points out that the states with the highest

number of people living in communities with less than 2,500 inhabitants are Veracruz, Oaxaca,

Chiapas, State of Mexico, Puebla and Guanajuato; According to CONAPO (National

Population Council), some criteria taken into account for differentiating between urban and

rural Mexico are that rural areas are identified with a population distributed in small scattered

settlements, with a low ratio between the number of inhabitants and the area they occupy, as

well as a predominance of primary activities, rural areas are characterized by small, close-knit

communities and because, unlike cities, the space available for green areas is not small. rural

areas tend to be more dependent on natural resources and organic materials, where the

environment does not suffer great damage and life tends to be more peaceful and relaxed; It

should be noted that earth is considered as a basic and ecological construction material, a

resource that has a great impact on cultural roots, because it is the traditional materialization

means of housing that suffers a technological and cultural discredit due to a gradual loss of

knowledge of its properties and the empirical practice in its use requires social management

processes and technological innovation to project it as the most important material resource of

the rural habitat. (Calla García, A. 2007)

Mexico covers a territorial extension of 1,964,375

km!

1,964,375, of which 1,959,248

km!

1,959,248 are continental and 5,127

km!

5,127 are insular surface. To this territory must

be added the Exclusive Economic Zone of the territorial sea, which covers 3,149,920,000 sq.

km.

km!

3,149,920, bringing the country's total surface area to 5,114,295,000 square meters.

km!

. The capital of Mexico is the Federal District (Mexico City), the political division of

Mexico is composed of 32 states and has a population of 126,014,024 people and its population

density is 64.3 inhabitants/km2 , so that there are 34,892,977 homes, of which 24.4% or

8,504,424 were identified as being in conditions of Housing Backlog.

112

The state of Mexico is located in the central zone of the Mexican Republic at an altitude of

2,683 meters above sea level, in its highest plain which is the Toluca valley, its territorial

extension of the state is 22,351.8

km!

of the total area, 38.1% is agricultural, 34.9% forestry,

16.7% livestock, 10.3% industrial and urban; in terms of land tenure, 40.32% is ejido. The

average annual temperature is 14.7°C, 73% of the state has a temperate sub-humid climate,

located in the high valleys of the north, center and east; 21% is warm sub-humid and is located

towards the southwest, 6% is dry and semi-dry, present in the northeast, and 0.16% has a cold

climate, located in the high parts of the volcanoes.

The State of Mexico has 125 municipalities, with information from INEGI 2020 it was obtained

that the State of Mexico ranks 1st nationally for its number of inhabitants 16,992,418, of which

8,741,123 are women and 8,251,295 are men. The population of the State of Mexico lives in:

87 % urban localities and 13 % rural localities, in the state of Mexico the total number of

dwellings is 4,481,007 and the social backwardness is 14.3%, i.e. 639.104 and the materials

with which the houses are built are: 63.3% of firm or cement floor, 96.8% walls of brick, brick,

block, stone, quarry, cement or concrete and 89.6% concrete roofs or joists with vaults and the

services they have are: 75.1% have piped water inside the house, 99.6% have electricity and

86.5% have drainage connected to the public network.

The municipality of Tlatlaya is located in the southwestern part of the State of Mexico, and

according to information from the Constitutional City Council of Tlatlaya (2022-2024), it is

made up of the municipal seat, 25 towns and 183 rancherías; its territorial division is made up

of 117 delegations. Its municipal seat is located within the geographic coordinates 18°37'01"

north latitude and between the meridians 100º12'27" west longitude of the Greenwich meridian.

Its territory amounts to 788.6

km!

788.6 hectares, which represents 3.5% of the state. The

predominant climate in Tlatlaya is classified as sub-humid tropical climate, of course with

summer rains. It also depends on the seasons of the year and according to the altitude where

we are located, for these reasons we have cold, temperate and warm climates. Summer is the

season that is bountiful for the farmer, plants and trees are renewed, especially agriculture is

promoted by planting corn, beans and pumpkins. In autumn the farmer harvests corn, sesame,

beans, pumpkin and some are dedicated to the sugar cane harvest or piloncillo.

In relation to the surface area occupied for rural production, Tlatlaya is the second municipality

with the second highest proportion destined for the use of agricultural production units,

pastureland, pastures, forests and areas lacking vegetation; there are 3,047 agricultural

production units, 1,680 refer to agriculture and self-consumption among the population, with

a population of approximately 31,762 inhabitants and a population density of 40.3

inhabitants/ha.

km!

. It should be noted that the total number of particularly inhabited dwellings

is 8,561, of which 7.3% are dwellings with dirt floors. The availability of services and

equipment in the houses is 34.3% of piped water, 89.1% of drainage, 90.1% of sanitary service,

98.9% of electric energy.

Mendieta, Bonilla 2022

October - December vol. 1. Num. 15, 2022

As mentioned above, of the total number of private homes inhabited in Tlataya, 8,561, it was

estimated that the housing deficit is equal to 62%, taking into account some variables of the

Housing Gap Update of the Population and Housing Census 2020. CONAVI Mexico. In which

there are 3 components, a, b and c. The a are the deteriorated materials where the variables

within this are Walls (Waste material: cardboard sheet; reed, bamboo or palm; in mud or

bajareque) and Roof (Waste material; cardboard sheet; palm or straw). In b are the regular

materials and the variables are walls (asbestos or metal sheet; wood), roof (metal sheet roof;

asbestos sheet; wood or tile; tile) and floor (dirt floor). In the c is the precariousness of spaces

such as overcrowding (more than 2.5 people per room) and service (toilet, no toilet).

The population resides in localities with less than 2,500 inhabitants, being a municipality with

a rural population in dispersed settlements except for the locality of San Pedro Limón, which

is considered an urban settlement because it has 2,503 inhabitants. In the municipality of

Tlatlaya, rural housing is predominant, as well as its construction materials, which range from

deteriorated materials such as cardboard, reed, bamboo or palm leaves; mud, palm or straw, to

regular materials such as asbestos or metallic sheeting; wood, or shingles; roof tiles, for use in

the construction of walls and roofs. In the municipal capital, houses are predominantly built

with brick or brick walls and tile or sheet metal roofs. The average number of occupants per

dwelling is 3.7 and the average number of occupants per room is 1.1. Over the years, the

average number of occupants per dwelling has decreased from 5.43 to 4.72 and finally to 4.37

inhabitants per dwelling in the years 1990-2000-2010.

The environment in the municipality of Tlatlaya is affected in different localities where the

activities of the population are the main cause of the alterations of the resources: air, water and

soil. For example in the larger localities such as: San Pedro Limón, Santa Ana Zicatecoya, San

Antonio del Rosario and Tlatlaya (Municipal Head) where hydrological contamination is given

by the discharge of domiciliary wastewater, since the rivers are used as the drains of the sanitary

infrastructure in addition to the solid waste that the population throws into them, also the use

of fertilizers that erodes the soils, the over exploitation of aquifers, daily activities such as

burning fossil fuels for transportation and the traditional combustion of firewood in domestic

uses. However, the final disposal site for solid waste is in a sanitary landfill located in the

community of Peña Blanca in the western part of the municipality and where the estimated

volume of solid waste collected in 2017 was 4,060 tons and in 2018 it is estimated to have

increased to 4,500 tons of solid waste. Although at this site, efforts are made to provide proper

treatment and separation of garbage, there is a risk of affecting the 48 inhabitants of the

community, due to respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases as in the main urban centers.

According to the National Population and Housing Census conducted by DANE (2020), in the

municipality of Pacho there are 8.856 households in total of which the predominant material

of the exterior walls are rough wood, board or plank, cane, matting or other vegetable and waste

materials; cane, matting or other vegetable and waste materials, as for the material of the floors

are earth, sand or mud and overcrowding of housing can be mitigable (With more than two

people per room to sleep) with an average of 937 homes of the total, unmitigable (Households

114

with more than four people per room to sleep) that apply to 25 homes of the total, and

cohabitation (There are three or more households, or there are more than 6 people in total in

the house) where 65 homes of the total have this characteristic.

It is important to note that the census found that there are 6 "type" dwellings, referring to

container, tent, boat, wagon, cave, natural shelter. On the other hand, it was found that 54

households prepare their food in a space outside the dwelling or do not have an adequate

kitchen for food preparation. Public services are fundamental and play an essential role in

economic and social development, the present investigation showed that of the total number of

homes in the municipality of Pacho 305 homes do not have electricity service, 691 homes in

which the toilet service has no connection; latrine, direct discharge to water sources (low tide),

and 2.641 households obtain water for cooking from a well without a pump, cistern, jaguey or

auger; rainwater; river, stream, spring or birth; carrotanque; aguatero; or bottled or bagged

water. (DANE, 2020).

According to the Pacho Development Plan (2020), to date there is no known census regarding

the use of renewable energies, which differ from conventional use, being almost null the use

of photovoltaic systems due to the difficult economic access by the community (Alcaldía

municipio de Pacho, 2020). Regarding the use of energy in heating and cooking processes for

rural areas, it is common to use firewood from native forests associated with eco-systematic

processes for each of the thermal floors of the municipality, being not only problematic due to

the displacement of fauna, loss of vegetation cover but also corresponding to the emission of

carbon dioxide, particulate matter, among others, that affect the health of the individual in

contact and are part of the factors that increase the incidence in relation to global warming,

leaving aside alternatives such as the construction and implementation of biodigesters as a tool

for the promotion of energy from the use of organic waste. The municipality has deposits of

some minerals for industrial use, such as iron, coal, and rocks used in road maintenance and as

construction material after processing.

Taking into account the above information, it was obtained that the housing deficit or social

gap in the municipality of Pacho is 44.22%, which identifies households living in homes that

have deficiencies and for which it is necessary to add new homes or make interventions so that

they are in the necessary conditions to ensure the habitability of households.

It is worth mentioning that, at the national level there is a public policy oriented to sustainable

housing design, although for the region specifically there is no theoretical evidence of manuals

that propose bioclimatic design (Ministry of Housing, City and Territory, 2020), likewise these

policies lack cohesion and their applicability for the rural sector has been deficient, which

translates into inappropriate housing projects forced to the rural context (Garcia-Puentes and

Bernal-López, 2022).

Sustainability concepts for housing in Mexico

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October - December vol. 1. Num. 15, 2022

Some of the sustainability principles that can be taken into account for Tlatlaya's constructions,

to obtain a good habitability, in addition to saving water, gas and electricity in a warm sub-

humid climate with an average annual temperature that is above 20°C, where temperatures

reach more than 35°C in warm seasons (spring and summer) and less than 20°C in cold seasons

(autumn and winter).

According to the Manual for Sustainable Housing, CONAVI 2021 it is important to consider

the following:

Table 1. Variables to consider for sustainable housing. Source: Own elaboration based on the

Manual for sustainable housing, CONAVI (2021).

INDICATORS

CONCEPT

Orientation

The orientation of the house is the first

important action to consider in order to have

a fresh and comfortable house, taking

advantage of air ventilation and sunlight.

Home design

Plan the areas of the house in such a way

that everyone feels comfortable using the

different spaces.

Vegetation

Helps to shade and reduce heating.

Materials to be used

The materials chosen should be decisive for

the comfort of the families. If materials that

are not suitable for the climate are chosen,

the house could be very hot throughout the

day and it will be very difficult to cool it

down.

Due to the use of household appliances

Appliances should have a yellow Energy

Efficiency label and in that label the most

important thing is the energy savings. Also

take into account that LED bulbs save up to

80%.

Water catchment

In Tlatlaya it rains between May and

October but from June to September is

where the rains are more intense. Therefore,

it is advisable to use water for consumption

in your home, this will help you to depend

less on the public network because you will

save water.

116

The above table shows data taken from the manuals of sustainable housing for different

climates of the National Housing Commission (CONAVI) 2021, which are very useful for the

construction, expansion and improvement of housing according to the place where it is located

with respect to climate, in this case we put the most general points that should be taken into

account in each construction and in any climate.

Colombia does not have any type of manuals like these, however, many countries are currently

looking for different strategies to achieve sustainable development and it is expected that this

will also be done in Colombia. On the other hand, the World Commission on Environment and

Development published its report in April 1987, where the concept of sustainable development

is defined for the first time.

"It is up to humanity to make development sustainable, that is, to ensure that it meets the needs

of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The concept of sustainable development implies limits (not absolute limits, but limitations

imposed on environmental resources by the present state of technology and social organization,

and the capacity of the biosphere to absorb the effects of human activities); but both technology

and social organization can be managed and improved in such a way as to open the way to a

new era of economic growth [...]" (World Commission on Environment and Development,

1988).

With this concept, we are seeking to meet our needs, but also thinking about not affecting future

generations, so many countries are beginning to work in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development and seeking to meet the goals.

Sustainability concepts for housing in Colombia

From the Colombian government, one of the most important steps taken in the recognition of

sustainable construction is the issuance of CONPES 3919 in 2018: National Policy on

Sustainable Buildings. Additionally, sustainability criteria have been formulated at the

regulatory level for the building sector, mostly focused on saving water and energy

consumption. In parallel, there are voluntary certifications in the construction market, which

provide guidelines for projects that seek the possibility of going beyond the minimum

requirements proposed by the standards (Consejo nacional de política económica y social

república de Colombia & departamento nacional de planeación, 2018).

The CONPES 3919 document seeks to promote public policies around sustainable construction

in Colombia, aligned with the fulfillment of the commitments assumed in the international

sustainable development agenda, especially with regard to the fulfillment of the Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs), with emphasis on goal 11 on sustainable cities and communities.

Mendieta, Bonilla 2022

October - December vol. 1. Num. 15, 2022

Therefore, the national policy for buildings proposed in this CONPES document recognizes

the need to incorporate and promote sustainability criteria in buildings of all types of use.

However, in the current regulations there is a weak inclusion of sustainability criteria in the

life cycle stages of buildings (i.e. design, construction, operation, and use), both new and used.

Among its objectives, specific actions for buildings are highlighted, including the inclusion of

information systems, the construction of baselines for water and energy savings, and the

reduction of deforestation. It should be noted that the benefits associated with sustainable

buildings are numerous and involve society as a whole. In addition, they cover the investment

extensively, both from the financial approach and from the environmental and social benefit

approach.

Likewise, within the framework of the Urban Environmental Management Policy, the Ministry

of Environment and Sustainable Development (2012), developed and published the document

"Environmental Criteria for the Design and Construction of Urban Housing", which contains a

set of environmental management proposals with a mainly preventive approach, since it

focuses on the identification and definition of management proposals for the main

environmental problems of urban housing, related to soil, water, energy and materials. This

document includes general proposals for the planning, design, construction and use of housing,

thus defining guidelines that not only contribute to the protection and conservation of the

environment, but also to the health and quality of life of the Colombian population, especially

the most vulnerable groups.

The fundamental principles of sustainable architecture were applied to the topics defined in the

document in order to establish the efficient use of resources in relation to the mitigation of the

environmental impact generated and the quality and comfort required for the best quality of

urban housing. The proposal of environmental criteria for the design and construction of urban

housing is based on four main axes: Water, Soil, Energy and Materials; these being primary

components of the building and the strong interrelation between them, since the lack or

deficiency of any of them directly affects the habitability conditions and environmental

sustainability of housing.

These criteria are intended to guide the inclusion of integral guidelines throughout the life cycle

of buildings and, within this same framework of ideas, use should be made of the integral

sustainability of a building, which refers to the incorporation of differential instruments (urban,

rural, climatological zone) that should be adapted to the particular characteristics of each

building (existing new conservation, among others).

• The proposed criteria focus mainly on three objectives:

• Rationalizing the use of renewable natural resources

• Substitute with alternative systems or resources

• Managing and minimizing the environmental impact produced

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Throughout the research, the similarity in the terms housing deficit and social backwardness is

identified, since in Colombia the housing deficit is composed of the quantitative deficit and the

qualitative deficit, each of these dimensions has its own components, which identify

households living in deficient housing; In Mexico, the social gap is a weighted measure that

summarizes four indicators of social deprivation (education, health, basic services and housing

space) in a single index that aims to order the units of observation according to their social

deprivation. It is not a poverty measurement, since it does not include income, social security

and food indicators. Considering this, it is recognized that the objective of the housing deficit

or social backwardness is to quantify the deficiencies of households, which is composed of

some similar variables, such as the material of floors and walls, overcrowding and public

services.

In Colombia, according to the National Population and Housing Census 2018 the total number

of households is 14,060,645, with a housing deficit or social gap is 36.59% and in Mexico

according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, there is a housing deficit or

social gap of 24.4%. Cundinamarca is the fourth most populated Department in the country, it

has 945,401 total housing units (DANE, 2020) with a housing deficit or social gap of 29.71%,

which is 6.88 percentage points below the national level, and the State of Mexico is the state

with the largest population in Mexico, with a total of 4,481,007 housing units (INEGI, 2020)

of which 14.3% are identified with a housing deficit or social gap.

In Pacho-Cundinamarca, out of 8,856 total households, 44% have a housing deficit or social

backwardness (DANE, 2020); for Tlatlaya-State of Mexico, the total number of inhabited

private homes is 8,561, with which the housing deficit or social backwardness was estimated

at 62%. It is observed then, that in Tlatlaya-State of Mexico the deficiencies in homes are

greater than in Pacho-Cundinamarca.

Considering the above, for homes identified as having dirt floors (sand or mud), in Pacho-

Cundinamarca 439 homes of the total have this characteristic, likewise 626 homes of the total

in Tlatlaya-State of Mexico (INEGI, 2020). For public services it was evidenced that, for the

homes in Pacho 70.18% have Aqueduct, 92.19% Sewerage, and 96.55% Energy, the homes in

Tlatlaya 34.3% have piped water, 89.1% with Drainage 90.1% sanitary service and electric

energy 98.9%. These data can be seen in the following table:

Table 2. Similar variables between Tlatlaya-Mexico and Pacho-Colombia. Source: Own

elaboration based on data from INEGI (2020) and DANE (2020).

Variable