The Protection of the Chichankanab Lagoon Territory in the Yucatán Peninsula: A case study on building community power

This case study focuses on the efforts of five ejidos surrounding the Chichankanab lagoon in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. These communities have successfully mobilized against threats to their land and resources. Stemming from a Decree that established a Natural Protected Area,
they have been able to lead the fight from a reaction to a rights violation to the adoption of a preventative approach for the protection of their territory. This experience offers valuable lessons for how law and organizing can be used together to defend land and indigenous peoples’ rights, especially in contexts where communities are exposed to frequent threats from governments and external actors.

The case study draws from an action research project implemented by ProDESC and funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), which is part of the Learning Agenda for Legal Empowerment, an initiative by Namati and the Grassroots Justice Network.

Keywords: land rights, law and organizing, preventative approach, investment hotspots, Mexico, legal empowerment.

This case study is also available in Spanish.

Share:      
Uploaded on: Dec 04, 2024
Last Updated: Dec 17, 2024
Co-Authors: Maria Atuesta, Marta Almela, Lautaro Costantini
Issues: Community / Customary Land Rights, Community Organizing, Environmental Justice, Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Women's Rights Tool Type: Case Study Target Population: Rural Method: Research Languages: English Regions: Mexico