Panama is accelerating relocations after rising seas threatened the Guna Yala (San Blas) atolls, which sit only 50 cm–1 m above sea level. Projections suggest local sea levels could rise about 80 cm by 2100. In 2024, the government moved 1,350 people from Gardi Sugdub to Isberyala at a cost of roughly $15 million, though about 100 residents remain. Officials and human rights groups say further relocations are needed but note the major cultural and logistical challenges involved.
Panama Begins Relocations as Rising Seas Threaten Guna Yala's Ancestral Islands
Panama is accelerating relocations after rising seas threatened the Guna Yala (San Blas) atolls, which sit only 50 cm–1 m above sea level. Projections suggest local sea levels could rise about 80 cm by 2100. In 2024, the government moved 1,350 people from Gardi Sugdub to Isberyala at a cost of roughly $15 million, though about 100 residents remain. Officials and human rights groups say further relocations are needed but note the major cultural and logistical challenges involved.
06:43 AM, 11/15/2025Environment
Panama confronts a growing climate challenge
Panama's government is racing to respond after rising sea levels put low-lying Indigenous communities in Guna Yala (the San Blas Islands) at acute risk. The Guna live on coral atolls that sit roughly 50 centimeters to one meter above sea level, leaving them extremely vulnerable to even modest increases in ocean height.
Regional projections indicate sea levels in the area could rise by about 80 centimeters by the end of the century, a change that would inundate many of the islands and threaten homes, infrastructure and cultural sites.
Relocation efforts and remaining challenges
In 2024, Panama relocated 1,350 residents from the island of Gardi Sugdub to a newly built mainland settlement called Isberyala in a project that cost roughly $15 million. The move was designed to protect families from immediate danger while creating a permanent onshore community.
Despite that effort, about 100 people remain on Gardi Sugdub, and many more across other islets remain at risk. Human rights organizations have urged authorities to accelerate relocations to reduce exposure to foreseeable harm.
Cultural and logistical complexities
Relocating the Guna is not only a technical or financial challenge: their language, economy and rituals are tightly interwoven with the sea. Fishing, navigation skills and coastal customs are central to everyday life, so moving communities inland raises difficult cultural, social and legal questions.
"[Panama's] president José Raúl Mulino has instructed us to prioritize this issue," environmental minister Juan Carlos Navarro told local media, adding that "it is an ongoing process. Culturally it is very difficult for them, but we will continue working with Indigenous authorities to take the measures needed for their well-being."
Global context
Panama's decisions are part of a broader pattern facing low-lying coastal and island communities worldwide. Researchers and agencies including NASA have warned that many small island nations in the Pacific and elsewhere face similar choices—ranging from building resilient infrastructure to planning potential large-scale migration. For example, Tuvalu has explored relocation options as its islands become more exposed to storm surge and sea-level rise.
What comes next
Authorities say more relocations from the Guna Yala archipelago are planned, but emphasize the need for consultations, land rights agreements and culturally sensitive planning. Balancing immediate safety with preservation of Guna culture and autonomy will require sustained funding, legal protections and close coordination with Indigenous leaders.
Sources: Local reporting and statements from government officials and human rights groups, as reported in regional media.