Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
25 January 2025 |12:00 CAT
2 min read

Flooding caused by the accelerating climate crisis has left Panama’s Guna Indigenous community of Ukupa with no choice but to plan the relocation of their entire village. The decision follows severe flooding in December 2024 that rendered homes uninhabitable, forcing community members to seek safer ground. As climate change continues to exacerbate these hazards, the Ukupa community is calling on the Panamanian government and international partners to support a relocation that preserves their dignity and rights.

Erica Bower, a researcher on climate displacement at Human Rights Watch, explains the dire situation faced by communities like Ukupa. “These types of floods are increasing in intensity and frequency because of climate change, and they threaten this community’s rights to an adequate standard of living, to housing, and to adequate water and food,” she said.

The Ukupa community now faces a critical decision: can they stay, and for how long? Having decided that relocation is their only option, they are once again confronting the harsh realities of displacement that have already affected other Panamanian communities, such as the Guna people of Gardi Sugdub.

The Gardi Sugdub relocation process, which began in 2010, took over a decade to complete. It was fraught with challenges, from securing new housing to building essential infrastructure such as schools, clinics, and cultural heritage centers. In an effort to preserve their Indigenous way of life, community members were involved at every stage of the process. However, the long wait and the persistent issues with access to basic services like water and electricity revealed the shortcomings in Panama’s approach to relocation.

“There are a lot of lessons that the government of Panama can learn in this context. It’s so important to make sure culture is at the core of this process. To make sure that community members are involved at all stages of the design process, said Bower.

A rights-based approach to relocation is essential, according to Bower. This approach means that relocation efforts must prioritise the rights of the community, ensuring access to adequate housing, education, and healthcare. “A rights-based approach means that you’re taking seriously what people are entitled to under international human rights law. It means thinking about their right to an adequate standard of living before, during, and after the relocation,” she explained

However, relocation should always be the last resort. She emphasised: “Planned relocation is a measure of last resort. No one wants to leave their home. It’s only something that should be considered when you’ve tried all possible ways to adapt in place.”

As climate-related disasters continue to affect vulnerable coastal communities, there is an urgent need for a national planned relocation policy in Panama. While the government has made some strides, including consultations with Indigenous leaders, a comprehensive and rights-respecting national policy is still missing.

Bower stated that the policy does not exist yet. “It’s essential that when people are invited to participate, it’s not tokenistic that their voices are genuinely heard and their contributions are reflected in the policy outcome.”

Panama can look to other countries for guidance. In the Pacific, nations like Fiji and the Solomon Islands have developed national policies to guide planned relocations in the face of climate change. These policies offer structures and principles that Panama could adapt to protect its coastal communities.

“Every country with a coastline is going to need to grapple with these challenges of planned relocation in the decades ahead, and it’s essential that there are rights-based policies to protect people at all stages of the process,” said Bower.

As communities like Ukupa face the reality of climate-induced displacement, the need for a comprehensive, inclusive, and culturally sensitive relocation policy in Panama has never been more urgent. Without it, the cycle of displacement will only worsen, and the government’s responsibility to protect the rights of its most vulnerable citizens will remain unmet.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Suhaib Lasanya and Erica Bower, a researcher on climate displacement at Human Rights Watch, here.