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2 years after Mexico relocated their climate-ravaged community, residents struggle to adapt
Mexico’s 2024 relocation of 51 El Bosque families to homes inland protected them from coastal flooding, but moving has disrupted livelihoods and community life. Two years on, residents are struggling with the economic, social and cultural losses of leaving the fishing community, while some people who were not included in the move still do not know why.
Fishing was central to El Bosque residents’ identity and daily routines, including garrulear, when women helped unload catches and earned fish or money. Viviana Velázquez says she misses that life and is struggling with anxiety and financial worries; a return taxi journey costs 240 pesos, about $14, limiting visits to roughly once a week. Authorities chose a site expected to remain safe from flooding for around 30 years, after erosion and storm surges had damaged or swept away more than half of the community’s roughly 100 homes.
In short
- Fifty-one families moved inland from climate-threatened El Bosque.
- Residents say relocation has disrupted fishing livelihoods and social ties.
- Some families were left out and still do not know why.
Explained simply
El Bosque is a fishing community on Mexico’s Gulf coast, where erosion, rising seas and storm surges damaged or swept away many homes. Fishing shaped daily life as well as income: women took part in garrulear, helping unload catches and receiving fish or money.
In 2024, authorities moved 51 families inland to a site expected to stay safe from flooding for about 30 years. The move reduced their exposure to coastal flooding, but distance from the shore has made it harder to continue fishing and maintain everyday ties with the community.
Some residents were not included in the relocation and have said they do not know why. For those who moved, adapting involves changes to work, family and community life, as well as the challenge of keeping connections with their former home.
Americas Climate Government Politics Science World