Reporting on climate, conservation, and ecological issues in Panama. We highlight scientific findings, policy responses, and community sustainability efforts.
IDAAN restarted its “Panama sin Fugas” campaign in Juan Díaz to repair leaks, reduce water waste, and improve pressure in the distribution network. The effort highlights Panama City’s ongoing challenge of maintaining reliable urban water service.
Friday’s forecast calls for moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms in parts of Bocas del Toro, Veraguas, Colón and the Ngäbe-Buglé Comarca. The wet pattern could affect travel, outdoor work and local road conditions.
NGOs and foundations in Panama are using purification technology to help communities facing contaminated water and related health risks. The initiative also promotes rainwater capture as a longer-term school water solution.
The Panama Canal is keeping vessels moving even as El Niño raises concern over rainfall and water levels. The situation highlights how climate patterns can affect one of Panama’s most critical economic assets.
Panama’s mine controversy is back in focus as pressure grows on the government to explain its plans clearly. The debate now centers on legality, public trust, and the lasting fallout from the 2023 protests.
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake in Peru’s Ica region injured at least 27 people and caused damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. The event highlights the ongoing seismic risk across the Pacific coast of South America.
Panama set a honey production record in 2025, reaching 67,620 gallons from 15,529 hives. The milestone underscores the sector’s growth, even as climate pressures, hive health issues and imported honey continue to challenge local producers.
Panama’s Reef Committee has asked President José Raúl Mulino to veto Bill 571, saying it weakens protections for coral reefs and coastal ecosystems. The dispute now centers on how the country balances development, marine conservation and climate resilience.
Panama’s Environment Ministry has launched a strategic alliance to identify and protect biodiversity hotspots, with a focus on endangered species such as the golden frog. The plan also highlights Indigenous knowledge and the need to confront deforestation, water pollution, and waste problems.
Global energy and food shocks are accelerating interest in bioeconomy as a strategic alternative to fossil-dependent production. Latin America’s biodiversity and agricultural capacity could give the region a major role in the transition.
Panama has launched land and environmental mapping for the Panama-David rail project, starting with the Panama-Divisa corridor in Phase 1. The survey will identify properties, forest areas and communities that could be affected as the megaproject advances.
Panama’s Amador Causeway remains tied up in stalled concessions, unpaid debts and legal disputes nearly 30 years after the former U.S. base reverted to the country. The unresolved situation has also raised concerns about unauthorized land filling and the loss of a major waterfront opportunity.
Panama City has begun the process to rehabilitate four municipal pools in Betania, San Francisco and Calidonia with a B/.4.5 million investment. The project includes structural repairs, neighborhood upgrades and three years of maintenance.
The Panama Canal is keeping lake levels high and maintaining 38 daily transits as it prepares for possible El Niño-related pressure later in 2026. Officials are using water-saving measures now to protect both canal operations and Panama’s drinking water supply.
Panama’s recycling efforts remain fragmented, with residents and institutions doing the work of a system that does not yet exist nationwide. The gap between public ambition and waste infrastructure is now one of the country’s biggest environmental challenges.
Leaning buildings do not always fall because the cause is often in the ground below, not the structure above. The lesson from Pisa and Amsterdam is that monitoring foundations early can prevent a tilt from becoming a disaster.
Panama has permanent recycling collection points in several provinces, offering residents a place to drop off materials like cardboard, glass and other recoverables. A public directory helps households find nearby centers as recycling access continues to grow.
Azuero’s water crisis in Herrera and Los Santos has become a costly routine, with more than 100,000 people relying on cistern trucks after contamination crippled treatment plants. Emergency spending has topped $2 million as the region waits for a lasting fix.
Panama’s water crisis was diagnosed more than a decade ago, but leaks, aging infrastructure and weak management still dominate the system. The debate now is how to build a more autonomous, professional model for a basic public service.
Cerro Sonsonate in San Miguelito is at the center of a debate over high-density development, green space, and the environmental costs of urban expansion. The dispute highlights how growth in Panama’s capital region can affect heat, drainage, traffic, and public health.