December 22, 2024 10:38 AM

The Disappearing Islands Of Panama

Unfortunately, there are places in the world that are going to be completely extinct or disappear due to the rising sea levels. A study revealed that the global sea levels are set to rise to almost seven feet over the next couple years with regards to the change of the climate.

According to BBC, this increase is set to affect a multitude of islands, namely the 350 islands of Panama, home to the indigenous Guna tribe that inhabits them. The Guna indigenous had staged a revolution against the Panama government and were independent of the government and now are governed by their own constitution. Others suggest the relocation about 150 years ago was a means to avoid malaria spread.

the rise in sea level is accompanied by the poor management of resources in the islands, has caused a significant coastal erosion. This means is a matter of decades and the islands will be underwater which implies a relocation to the mainland.

As reported by NPR, Some communities are even already allocating, such as the people of Garden Sugdub which is a tiny island about a mile from the coast. These people plan to relocate to a hereditary tropical rainforest on the mainland. It is approximated that 28,000 people will have to be relocated into the mainland as soon as possible as they face imminent danger in the case where the extreme weather was to hit the islands.

Since the Guna people of the islands have been living independently and not under the same laws of the mainland, it is uncertain what the relocation will mean for both their sovereignty and more importantly their economy seeing as tourism and fishing build up most of their income. Since the island will be open to public the major worry is the conservation of the island will be poor which is why the Panama government is thinking to regularly allow the Guna people back to the island or its upkeep.

Tags
Islands, Travel, Travel news, Travel tips, Travelers, Travelling, Travel and tourism
Join the Discussion
Real Time Analytics