Legal pluralism and coastal land access: Inequalities, governance, and tourism pressure in Mahajanga

This article examines unequal access to coastal land in Mahajanga, Madagascar, under legal pluralism and growing tourism pressure. It analyses the gap between state land law, customary tenure practices and effective control over coastal space. The study uses a mixed-methods single-case design. Primary data come from 300 participants: 180 completed structured questionnaires and 120 took part in semi-structured interviews. Additional primary evidence includes observations across 16 sites, georeferenced records, field photographs and 100 locally collected taratasy, or informal land deeds. Secondary data include 47 land registration files, legal texts, cadastral records, census data and satellite imagery. Formal tenure security rarely matches widespread customary occupation. Among the 200 local household and resident participants, 72.0% relied mainly on customary arrangements, while only 15.0% held a registered land title. Coastal sectors with greater tourism development also show higher land values, a stronger concentration of formal transactions near the shoreline and more conflicts over access, enclosure and territorial control. Formal registration remains easier for actors with greater financial resources and stronger administrative networks. Within the Amborovy coastal sector, particularly in Marohala, Petite Plage and Grand Pavois, fences and tourism facilities restrict public access to the shore and reduce spaces used by fishing households. Existing land management tools therefore give limited protection to long-established occupants during rapid market change. The findings support closer coordination between land administration, local land uses and public coastal access. The case extends debates on legal pluralism and tourism-led land restructuring to secondary coastal cities in the Global South.