Last Updated on May 12, 2025
Nearly 20 years of drought and little help from the government has forced the Yaquis, a tribe in Mexico, to irrigate their lands with the only water source available – raw sewage.
Over the past decade more than 4,000 hectares of once fertile land has dried up – and now things could go from bad to worse.
The state government is building an aqueduct that will divert nearly 75 million cubic metres of water from the Yaqui river to a nearby town.
The government says the project is crucial, but Yaqui leaders question the decision to prioritize alleviating drought in cities over farming communities.
Al Jazeera‘s Rachel Levin reports from Sonora.
Across the world right now, Indigenous peoples are facing a renewed assault on their lands, rights, and ways of life.
From extractive industries pushing deeper into ancestral territories, to governments rolling back hard-won protections,
the threat is global—and it is growing.
What makes this moment especially dangerous is how little attention it receives.
Stories like this are disappearing in real time. Mainstream media
barely covers it and the coverage is fragmented. The public is left without the context
needed to understand what is truly at stake.
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For more than 20 years, IC has reported on Indigenous struggles worldwide — consistently, independently, and without compromise.
We don’t follow news cycles; we trace patterns. We don’t sensationalize; we provide context.
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