Panama's government is facing a potential climate-related crisis as Indigenous populations are threatened by rising seas.
What's happening?
According to The Tico Times, the Panamanian government is under pressure to relocate more of the Guna community from the Caribbean islands where they're located to the mainland of the country.
The Guna live on the Guna Yala archipelago, also known as the San Blas Islands. The coral atolls have been home to Guna families for generations, but they sit between 50 centimeters to one meter above sea level.
As oceans warm and rise due to rising global temperatures, those atolls are coming under siege, with water levels in the region projected to rise by 80 centimeters between now and the end of the century.
This prompted Panama to relocate 1,350 people from the island of Gardi Sugdub to a new mainland settlement known as Isberyala for $15 million in 2024.
With close to 100 people still on the island, and more in the atoll under threat, there has been a push from human rights organizations to expedite the moving process.
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Why is the Guna relocation important?
What's happening in Panama is yet another canary in the coal mine for what is going to happen around the world.
As the planet warms and sea levels rise, more and more coastal communities are under direct threat from rising seas, while inland communities grapple with stronger storms, longer droughts, and more unpredictable weather patterns.
We're seeing similar events in the Pacific Ocean, with NASA scientists sounding the alarm about the risks to many tiny island nations. Tuvalu, for example, is in the midst of planning a full migration off its island home to settle in Australia to escape the rising ocean.
What's being done about the Guna?
Panama is planning the next wave of relocations of Indigenous people from the Guna Yala archipelago, but it isn't an easy process.
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Definitely 👍 The Guna's culture is centered around the sea, and its history and traditions are based there.
"[Panama's] president José Raúl Mulino has instructed us to prioritize this issue," environmental minister Juan Carlos Navarro said, per The Tico Times.
"It is an ongoing process. Culturally it is very difficult for them, but we will continue working with Indigenous authorities to take the measures needed for their well-being."
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