Developing Legal Tools for Climate Change Adaptation with Ejido Communities in the Lacandon Tropical Rainforest
Organization: Environmental Law Institute
Country: Mexico
Other Organizations Involved:
Natura y Ecosistmas Mexicanos A.C
Background
The Lacandon tropical rainforest in the State of Chiapas is the most biologically diverse region of Mexico. It represents 50% of the remaining tropical rainforest of the country and is the last flooding rainforest of North and Central America that still remains.
Despite severe degradation, the Lacandon tropical rainforest still contains 1/5 of Mexico’s biological diversity, including the endangered scarlet macaw, harpy eagle, jaguar, tapir, howler and spider monkeys, and swamp crocodile.
Goals
- Improve the ability of ejidos in the Lacandona tropical rainforest to adapt to climate change.
- Enable the conditions to mitigate the impacts of human activities on biodiversity and ecosystems due to climate change in ejidos in the Lacandona tropical rainforest.
Main activities
Assist the ejido communities in identifying threats to their livelihoods and to the Lacandon rainforest ecosystems, caused by their agricultural activities and posed by climate change.
Results
Build capacities for the design of strategies to adapt to climate change and the development of response measures, including internal regulations for controlling the use of fire on agricultural activities; avoiding hunting practices that target endangered species; preventing land use changes; and protecting the riparian vegetation and the Lacantún River and its tributaries.