Famous Panama Indigenous Community Relocates Due to Climate Change

In a groundbreaking response to Climate change, Panama has begun relocating the first of its citizens displaced by environmental factors. On May 30, 2024, approximately 1,200 members of the Guna Indigenous group from the island of Carti Sugtupu were presented with new homes on the mainland. This initiative marks Panama’s first large-scale relocation of climate refugees.

The small island, which spans the size of five football fields, has been home to the community for generations. However, the effects of Climate change, including rising sea levels, have made their living conditions increasingly precarious. The traditional dirt-floor homes, some on stilts extending into the sea, lacked basic amenities such as drinking water, sanitation, and reliable electricity. Regular flooding exacerbated the situation, prompting urgent relocation measures.

The new settlement, named Nuevo Carti, is situated in the Guna Yala Indigenous region along Panama’s Caribbean coast. The government-funded project, which cost $12.2 million, includes about 300 homes. Each house features two bedrooms, a living and dining area, a kitchen, bathroom, and laundry facilities, complete with water and electricity. The homes, spanning 41 square meters each, sit on plots of 300 square meters.

President Laurentino Cortizo, who personally handed over keys to the families, highlighted the forced migration as a direct consequence of the global climate crisis. “The climate crisis that the world is experiencing has forced us here in Panama to move the population from the island to this urban development,” Cortizo stated during the ceremony.

Residents, while nostalgic about leaving their ancestral lands, expressed optimism and relief about their new accommodations. Vidalma Yanez, 57, praised the comfort and aesthetics of the new homes. Similarly, 26-year-old Marialis Lopez looked forward to the potential for a new beginning, planning to bring her furniture and plant flowers in her new environment.

Carti Sugtupu is one of 49 inhabited islands in the region, all at risk from rising sea levels. This proactive relocation by the Panamanian government sets a precedent for how nations might handle similar challenges posed by climate change, focusing on sustainable, community-based solutions to protect vulnerable populations.

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