Perceptions of climate change, the impacts of and responses to climatic variability and extreme weather are explored in three communities in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, in relation to livelihood resilience. These communities provide examples of the most common livelihood strategies across the region: small-scale fisheries (San Felipe) and semi-subsistence small-holder farming (Tzucacab and Calakmul). Although the perception that annual rainfall is reducing is not supported by instrumental records, changes in the timing of vital summer rainfall and an intensification of the mid-summer drought (canicula) are confirmed. The impact of both droughts and hurricanes on livelihoods and crop yields was reported across all communities, although the severity varied. Changes in traditional milpa cultivation were seen to be driven by less reliable rainfall but also by changes in Mexico’s agricultural and wider economic policies. Diversification was a common adaptation response across all communities and respondents, resulting in profound changes in livelihood strategies. Government attempts to reduce vulnerability were foundto lack continuity, be hard to access and too orientated toward commercial scale producers. Population growth, higher temperatures and reduced summer rainfall will increase the pressures on communities reliant on small-scale farming and fishing, and a more nuanced understanding of both impacts and adaptations is required for improved livelihood resilience. Greater recognition of such local-scale adaptation strategies should underpin the developing Mexican National Adaptation Policy and provide a template for approaches internationally as adaptation becomes an increasingly important part of the global strategy to cope with climate change.

This article examines the inclusive models of Community Rural Tourism (CRT) and the Multifactorial Model for Empowerment (MME) in the community organizations of the Calakmul Ecotourism Network (REC), in Campeche, as a proposal for boosting the economy of rural communities and human development. It explores the structure of the groups, the management of tourist activity and the work of women. Qualitative methodological tools were used, such as group interviews, in-depth interviews and participant observation. It was observed that the REC benefited the women’s organization, promoted productive activities such as ecotourism, activated the economy, promoted groups at the local and regional level, encouraged formal and informal education processes, and enabled women to manage their time, relate to other people beyond their community, gain confidence and security and display their traditional knowledge. However, it was observed that the REC does not operate with a gender perspective, that there are economic and personal conflicts, and that its work enjoys scant recognition from the municipality. Likewise, ecotourism activities in the region have been stymied by the lack of interest of local authorities in having men’s and women’s groups manage their own resources.

In the current debate on climate change, issues such as social vulnerability and the population’s perceptions of risk occupy a prominent place, largely because they enable us to improve our knowledge of the interests, demands and needs of different social sectors and provide the basis for the construction of processes for reducing the risks of disasters caused by the increase in hydro meteorological phenomena and other complex manifestations of climate change in Yucatán. This paper seeks to understand the perceptions of a group of men and women in the community of Ixil regarding the risks associated with climate change, their impact on the lives of the population and the types of stress-related environmental factors linked to climate change