Sisal Families Revive Forgotten Mangroves

SISAL, Yucatán — On the northern coast of the state, where the sea and the mangroves have coexisted for centuries, the families of the port of Sisal have decided to act on their own. With shovels, flat-bottomed boats, and the strength of their community, they have undertaken one of the most important tasks of the century: rescuing the ecosystems that the state only touts in statistics.

The RE3CO project (Restoration and Conservation of Coastal Wetlands and Community Development), promoted by the World Resources Institute (WRI Mexico) in alliance with Ducks Unlimited Mexico (DUMAC), the Small Grants Programme (SGP) of the UNDP, and with the support of the Secretariat of Sustainable Development (SDS) of Yucatán, seeks to restore the mangroves and wetlands of the Peninsula under a community development approach.

According to the most recent data disseminated by DUMAC, the project has managed to restore the hydrology of more than 125,000 hectares of wetlands and recover 22,250 hectares of mangroves in the Gulf of Mexico and Mexican Caribbean region. However, there is no public, disaggregated information specifying how many of those hectares correspond to the municipality of Hunucmá or the Sisal area, which casts doubt on the real magnitude of the local impact.

The Family Effort That Keeps the Mangrove Alive

The families of Sisal have built more than 2 kilometers of canals and opened 10 freshwater wells, actions aimed at reestablishing the natural flow of water, decreasing soil salinity, and allowing the red and black mangroves to expand again.

Among the local testimonies stands out Yisvi Guadalupe Pech Basto, a native woman of the port who leads nurseries and environmental monitoring brigades.

“The mangrove is our natural barrier against hurricanes and we care for it as we care for our children,” she expressed during a technical visit by the SDS.

The resident Abel Alejandro Novelo Esquivel, who participates alongside his family, recounted that the project “has united us as a community; the men support the women, we accompany them to the work areas and we all learned how important it is to protect nature.”

These tasks have become an environmental school for new generations and an economic alternative for families that previously depended solely on fishing and seasonal tourism.

Figures Without Transparency and the Void of Evaluation

Although the SDS, headed by Neyra Silva Rosado, has publicly recognized the community role of Sisal, there are no available technical reports detailing the budget invested by the state government in the restoration nor the measurable results at the local level.

The RE3CO project appears on the portals of WRI Mexico and Sursureste.org.mx with lines of work that include restoration, capacity building, and financial mechanisms for coastal communities.

However, there is no official document that publishes specific environmental or socioeconomic indicators for the Sisal site, such as recovered biodiversity, avoided emissions, or post-project follow-up.

Environmental experts consulted by CAMBIO 22 warned that without permanent monitoring, the mangroves could become degraded again in a few years due to lack of maintenance, urban advancement, or coastal pollution.

The Contrast Between Discourse and Reality

While federal and state agencies highlight the "success" of restoration programs, the communities continue working with limited resources. The RE3CO project, although international, depends on donations and technical cooperation, which puts its continuity at risk in case of cuts or administrative changes.

In Sisal, the panorama is clear: restoration is not sustained with press conferences, but with fieldwork. The families have transformed environmental discourse into everyday action, demonstrating that true conservation is born from below, not from desks.

The Mangrove, a Symbol of Resistance

Mangroves are not only vital habitats for fish and migratory birds, they are the natural barrier that protects Yucatán from hurricanes, capture carbon, and mitigate the effects of climate change. Even so, in various areas of the peninsular coast, urban pressures, tourist developments, and deforestation for infrastructure continue.

The inhabitants of Sisal know this and confront it with simple tools: water, mud, and determination.

“We are not waiting for the government; if we don't take care of the mangrove, no one will,” affirmed a local fisherman.

The RE3CO project has allowed for the visibility of the importance of ecological restoration in the Peninsula, but the lack of local data, independent evaluation, and transparency in the application of resources calls into question the real scope of the official figures.