Sea level rise is impacting low-lying islands, forcing evacuations around the world. The latest update concerns the coast near Panama, where about 1,000 residents on Cartí Sugdupu are preparing to relocate inland as seawater encroaches on homes. Without clean water or sanitation, migration becomes the only viable option.
Cartí Sugdupu is one among 365 islands in the Guna Yala archipelago. Its residents rely on fishing, small-scale tourism, and the cultivation of cassava and bananas sourced from the adjacent mainland.
Alongside extreme heat and limited public services, overcrowding is a growing problem. More than a thousand people live on an island roughly the size of five soccer fields. Rising tides flood homes with increasing frequency, rendering life there unsustainable.
The government confirms Cartí Sugdupu faces challenges from rising sea levels linked to global warming. Local authorities note that overcrowding compounds the broader national strain, said Marcos Suira, director of the Ministry of Housing, to AFP.
Efforts have been underway for well over a decade to relocate families. Plans call for moving 300 households onto land belonging to the Guna community.
abandoned islands
The problem is not isolated to Cartí Sugdupu. Many nearby islands in the same archipelago face similar threats, with several of the Guna Yala islands at risk of vanishing beneath the waves. The heights of the 49 inhabited islands range from about 50 cm to one meter above sea level.
As climate-driven sea level rise progresses, experts warn that most islands could be abandoned by the century’s end. Steven Paton of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama offers this assessment: the current trend signals widespread displacement.
The cartí Sugdupu area is projected to be submerged by 2050, according to local authorities and researchers.
The rainy season worsens the situation. One local teacher described how rising waters flood coastal areas, turning parts of the island into a drifting landscape where homes and paths are swept away.
A new home on dry land
Housing on Cartí Sugdupu is fragile, featuring dirt floors and walls made from reeds, wood, and zinc sheets. There is little access to drinking water, and residents often boat to rivers or purchase supplies from the mainland for basic needs.
Electricity is unreliable. Most residents depend on public generators that run for only a few hours at night, while some use solar panels or private generators to power essentials.
Overcrowding remains a concern. A recent report from a rights-focused NGO noted there is no space to expand housing or allow children to play safely on the island.
If government plans proceed on schedule, the community will move to a newly established 22-hectare neighborhood on the mainland, located about 15 minutes by boat from the island, around late 2023 or early 2024. The new community sits on land that had been cleared in advance of settlement, with residents naming the new town as part of the project.
Each family will receive a 300-square-meter plot with a 49-square-meter house that includes two bedrooms, a bathroom, a dining room, and a kitchen. The new homes will have access to drinking water and electricity, and residents will be able to expand their houses or create gardens as needed.
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Contact details for the environmental department have been removed for privacy in this article.