The indigenous Guna people on Gardi Sugdub Island (Panama) face a difficult decision about whether to relocate to the mainland as the island is at risk of being submerged by rising sea levels.
On Gardi Sugdub Island, located off the coast of Panama, colorful houses and wooden huts cover almost the entire island, according to CNN.
Gardi Sugdub is one of about 50 islands inhabited by the Guna indigenous people, who rely on fishing and tourism for their livelihoods.
Aerial view of Gardi Sugdub Island (Panama). (Photo: CNN).
However, the very ocean that the Guna depend on for survival is now threatening their existence. Rapid global warming is causing sea levels to rise, and the residents of Gardi Sugdub are the first island communities in Panama to be requested by the government to relocate to the mainland within the coming decades.
Within the next 40 to 80 years, depending on the elevation of the islands and the rate of sea-level rise, most inhabited islands will literally be submerged.
Long-Standing Warnings
The inhabitants of Gardi Sugdub and the islands of the Guna Yala archipelago are among the first “climate refugees” in Latin America. The current climate crisis is accelerating the relocation of island populations.
A boatman transporting residents between Gardi Sugdub Island and the mainland. (Photo: CNN).
Blas Lopez, a member of the Guna leadership on Gardi Sugdub and a member of the resettlement committee, stated, “The Guna and other indigenous communities in the Caribbean will be severely affected by rising sea levels. Therefore, we certainly must be prepared.”
“In our oral history, we always talk about what happens when strong winds blow, and communities are flooded. That consequence could occur in 30 or 50 years. So, we have to organize, we have to plan,” Lopez added.
A fisherman on Gardi Sugdub Island. (Photo: CNN).
According to CNN, even though the world significantly reduces air pollution, sea levels continue to rise. However, the phenomenon of rising sea levels is not uniform worldwide. Small, low-lying islands in the tropics—like those in the Guna Yala archipelago—will bear the brunt of the impact.
Children playing with their grandmother in a 12-member household on Gardi Sugdub Island. (Photo: CNN).
The First to Leave
Nadin Morales, a Guna indigenous person who previously lived on Gardi Sugdub, expressed her eagerness to start a new life on the mainland of Panama. The town where Morales is being resettled has over 300 two-bedroom houses, paved roads, streetlights, and a large school.
This is in stark contrast to her living conditions as a child on the island. There, Morales lived in a large house with four different families under very difficult conditions.
Ana Spalding, a social scientist working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama), noted, “In one of the houses in Gardi Sugdub, we found 17 people living there. Local leaders also feel that in addition to the [negative] climate changes, there are too many people on the island.”
An adjacent island to Gardi Sugdub, also inhabited by the Guna indigenous people. (Photo: CNN).
Lopez indicated that overpopulation has detrimental effects on health, access to water, and children’s education.
These issues are exacerbated during strong winds and heavy rains on the island, leading to flooding of residents’ homes.
Climate change is attacking the Guna people on multiple fronts. The heat from climate change not only causes ice to melt and sea levels to rise but is also increasing the frequency and intensity of tropical storms.
The Isber Yala resettlement area for the Guna indigenous people, in March 2023. (Photo: CNN).
However, not everyone recognizes this.
Victor Peretz, a 34-year-old Guna indigenous person working in tourism, shared that his father believes the weather changes are normal and seasonal. Meanwhile, Peretz thinks that the climate crisis could significantly alter the island in the near future.
The differing perspectives between generations also dictate who stays and who leaves the island.
“Younger people, along with their families, will leave,” Spalding noted.
Returning to Roots
After many years of government planning, over 1,000 Guna indigenous people have finally received the keys to their new homes on the mainland and are beginning to relocate to a resettlement town called Isber Yala.
Children playing soccer on Gardi Sugdub Island. (Photo: CNN).
The houses here, funded by the government, are very different from the old homes of the Guna people. The houses in Isber Yala are identical, with cream-colored walls and orange roofs.
However, many feel that this resettlement area was built rather hastily. The town still lacks clean water and has no health care center. Lopez indicated that while people are ready to move in, there is still no electricity, and basic services like garbage collection are not yet operational.
“There is a lack of planning at the social, economic, environmental, and ecological levels,” Lopez commented.
A boy playing near the shore on Gardi Sugdub Island. (Photo: CNN).
Some Guna individuals are disappointed that the new homes do not respect their traditional way of life. Thus, their new town is built inland, separated from the sea. However, Lopez believes this is not an issue.
“Many years ago, the Guna came to the shores of the islands in the Caribbean, but we originated from the mountains, rivers, and jungles,” Lopez explained.
Therefore, Lopez believes that returning to the mainland will improve the quality of life for the Guna people, especially for children.
