Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the Parque Internacional La Amistad, putting its Unesco World Heritage Site status in
danger. Unesco also expressed concern on dam plans on the nearby Río Changuinola. In
addition to drawing international opposition, the dam has divided the tribe.
Development
As Panama City grows, sites that have been long earmarked for preservation are coming
under threat.
Just outside of Panama City, Panama Bay is a Ramsar wetland site, identified as cru-
cial to the hemisphere as it hosts up to two million shorebirds in their annual migrations.
Mangroves in this 85,000-hectare area also play a vital role: as a nursury for fish and
shellfish, a natural filter for sewage, and a buffer zone protecting the city from storms. In
May, 2012, the government removed Panama Bay's protected status to make way for the
development of urban and resort development including hotels and golf courses. Spear-
heading the campaign for preservation is the Audubon Society (
Click here
).
Also of concern in Panama City are plans to extend the six-lane coastal highway
known as Cinta Costera into the sea to wrap around the historic neighborhood of Casco
Viejo, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Though it would reduce congested city traffic, it
would also threaten the World Heritage status, as well as change the character of this be-
loved landmark. Neighborhood organizations are up in arms. Unesco opposes any devel-
opment until studies may be undertaken, though the concrete is already being poured.
Monkey's Bridge: Mysteries of Evolution in Central America
, by David Rains Wallace,
tells the colorful evolutionary unfolding of fauna and flora on the isthmus, beginning
three million years ago and ending in the present.
Isla de Coiba
One of the hottest environmental topics in Panama is the future of Isla de Coiba. This
rainforest-covered island and Unesco World Heritage Site is set in one of the largest mar-
ine parks on the planet - scientists often compare Coiba to the Galápagos Islands. Yet,
with annual funding of only US$60,000, it is far from the Galápagos standard. A lack of
funding also challenges patrols from combating illegal fishing activity.
In 2004 Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador created a Pacific marine corridor
to preserve the area's ecosystems.
