In a sobering reminder of the tangible impacts of climate change, a small island off Panama’s Caribbean coast, Gardi Sugdub, is preparing for an unprecedented evacuation as rising sea levels threaten to submerge it. About 300 families belonging to the indigenous Guna community are faced with the heart-wrenching decision to abandon their ancestral homes and relocate to the mainland, a move that resonates with the urgent global narrative of environmental displacement.
The Gunas, living a life intertwined with the sea and dependent on tourism, are poised to make the arduous transition from their island, only about 400 yards long and 150 yards wide, to a new government-developed site on the mainland. Despite the government’s reassurances that authorities will not force anyone to leave, many have decided to stay on the island until it’s no longer safe, illustrating a grim reality—their traditional way of life is sinking along with their land.
Nadín Morales, a 24-year-old island resident, captured the poignancy of their plight, stating, “We’re a little sad, because we’re going to leave behind the homes we’ve known all our lives, the relationship with the sea, where we fish, where we bathe and where the tourists come, but the sea is sinking the island little by little.” Her words underscore the personal loss felt by those impacted by climate-driven relocation.
The Gunas have made concerted efforts over the years to reinforce their island against the encroaching sea with rocks, pilings, and coral, yet to no avail—the sea persists. In a statement that highlights the inescapable intersection of nature and humanity, Steven Paton, director of the Smithsonian Institution’s physical monitoring program in Panama, said, “The islands on average are only a half-meter above sea level, and as that level rises, sooner or later the Gunas are going to have to abandon all of the islands almost surely by the end of the century or earlier.”
The economic and cultural upheaval cannot be overstated. Evelio López, a 61-year-old teacher on the island, reflected on the gravity of leaving their coastal roots behind, “Leaving the island is ‘a great challenge, because more than 200 years of our culture is from the sea, so leaving this island means a lot of things’.” As the Guna community prepares to move to concrete houses in the forest, away from the sea and their economic livelihood, the full scope of their sacrifice begins to take shape.
This episode is not unique to Gardi Sugdub. Coastal communities worldwide are grappling with similar fates as climate change intensifies. From Venice to New Zealand, to a small community in Mexico that moved inland last year following continual storm damage, the pattern of displacement is emerging as a universal crisis, demanding action and not just observation.
The implications of these migrations extend beyond immediate logistics; they feed into a broader narrative of climate change that demands both local and global responses. The estimated cost of $1.2 billion to relocate Panama’s 38,000 coastal inhabitants facing this threat in the short- and medium-term spotlights the daunting economic challenges that accompany environmental ones.
As the world witnesses communities like the Gunas of Gardi Sugdub confronting the immediate consequences of environmental change, the call for action becomes more pressing. Governments and international organizations must balance immediate relief with long-term strategies, redefining what it means to protect and serve populations on the front lines of a shifting planet.
Relevant articles:
– Global Warming effect: This tiny island near USA prepares to evacuate due to rising sea levels, The Economic Times
– Panama prepares to evacuate first island in face of rising sea levels, NBC News
– NASA-UN Partnership Gauges Sea Level Threat to Tuvalu, NASA Sea Level Change Portal (.gov)