The Protection of the Chichankanab Lagoon Territory in the Yucatán Peninsula

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.