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Georgetown University

Publication Date

Spring 2024

Program Name

Panama: Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems, and Biodiversity Conservation

Abstract

The Guna Yala Comarca is the autonomous, self-governed territory of the Guna people, one of seven Indigenous groups in Panama. The Comarca is located on Panama’s eastern Caribbean coast and includes 365 coral islands. Forty nine Guna communities and roughly 32,000 individuals live in the territory. The Guna General Congress is the highest authority, and each community has a local congress. As a low-lying coastal region, Guna Yala is especially vulnerable to climate change and is already impacted by sea level rise, biodiversity loss, and changing precipitation patterns. Sub-national, national, and international forms of governance and environmental action are crucial to mitigate climate change and other environmental issues. The Guna have implemented environmental policies and other environmental action in the Comarca. Some research reflects community opinions about climate change and specific marine conservation policies. However, little published research highlights community ideas for future environmental policies and action. The goal of this research is to understand what environmental action members of communities in the Guna Yala Comarca think should exist, with the goal of amplifying and drawing attention to these opinions. Sixteen semistructured interviews were conducted with community members on Isla Porvenir and Whichub Walla in the Guna Yala Comarca. Interviewees were asked about life in the Comarca, their opinions on environmental laws or action, and observed changes in climate. The most discussed environmental issue was trash. Participants proposed a range of solutions including laws, education, and waste collection. Most participants supported environmental laws, especially stricter conservation laws. Participants expressed different opinions about who should create these laws, including the Guna General Congress, individual communities, and the Panamanian government. All participants who were asked reported a change in climate, and the majority discussed changes in the rainy season and increased heat. Responses reflect how community members’ daily lives influence the environmental action they think should exist. Policymakers and drivers of environmental action should consider these worldviews and lived experiences to create equitable climate solutions.

Disciplines

Biodiversity | Civic and Community Engagement | Climate | Environmental Health and Protection | Environmental Law | Environmental Policy | Environmental Studies | Indigenous Studies | Natural Resources and Conservation | Sustainability

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