Nearly 2,000 migrants enter Panama daily through the Darién jungle. The migration crisis, in addition to being a harmful problem for humanity, is also harmful to the environment, due to the pollution generated by the constant exodus of foreigners who cross and alter natural ecosystems (jungles and rivers), as detailed by the Ministry of Environment.
According to information from said ministry, this migratory movement is confirmed within the Darién National Park (PND), the largest protected area in Panama and Central America, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 at the request of the Government of Panama, for having with elements of outstanding beauty and in recognition of its global importance. In addition, in 1983 it was recognized worldwide as a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO Man and Biodiversity program.
Currently the PND maintains 579,000 hectares, marked mainly by an evergreen tropical broadleaf lowland forest ecosystem. Site that at the moment has been affected by the constant passage of migrants, taking into account that this area maintains a lower carrying capacity, in this case about 102 people a day.
Is logging recorded?
Víctor Cadavid, national director of Forestry at MiAMBIENTE, reports that the composition of the forest can be divided into various strata according to height. “The undergrowth is what is currently being cut, since the migrants need to widen the trail a bit. The undergrowth is the herbaceous or vegetable part that is less than 5 meters, that is, in the visual part if we see it from a satellite image we will not see a deforestation issue, what is happening there is more than anything an impact the biodiversity of the area due to the issue of contamination,” he explained.
In turn, many of these leave part of their luggage, clothing, personal items that later become garbage. All this is sanitary damage, which affects the ecological integrity of the Darién National Park.
Findings and risks
Favio Gómez, Chief of the Darién National Park, said that during the patrols, shops have been found in various parts of the park.
With regard to water resources, the Tuira River, Balsas River, Chucunaque River, Sambú River and Jaque River basins are located in this protected area. And all its tributaries that are also of great importance.
Migrants are forced to travel on land and water until they leave the park, although they often get lost in the vast forested area.
With regard to fauna, 63% of the known fauna for Panama is found in the PND. There are 174 identified mammal species, where species of scientific importance and in danger of extinction stand out.
Gómez emphasizes that the main problem stemming from migration is pollution; however, there is also hunting, since many are forced to extract animals from the natural environment as a method of subsistence for so many days inside the forest.
Some important bird species are: the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja), the macaw (Ara chloroptera), the blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), the green macaw (Ara ambigua) and the scarlet macaw (Ara severa).
There are also others in danger of extinction such as the jaguar or tiger (Panthera onca), the male of the bush (Tapirus bairdii, the wild pig (Tayassu pecari), the puma (Puma concolor), the spider monkey (Ateles fusciceps), the titi monkey (Saguinus geoffroyi), the mountain goat (Mazama americana), the horse bear (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).
Regarding amphibians and reptiles, 84 species of amphibians and 135 species of reptiles have been identified in the PND.
Affectations at the regional level
Technicians from MiAMBIENTE’s Environmental Performance Verification directorate organize tours to the Guna Yala region in order to sample the quality of the water in the water sources.
The impact of the migratory flow in Guna Yala has caused several communities in the region to request support from the authorities. The locals stated that the increase in migrants has generated a series of health problems on several islands in the region, to mention some details that there has been an increase in waste in bodies of water, as well as on land.
As these are areas that do not have water treatment systems, it is important to intervene in time to prevent contamination from continuing and affecting the ocean and marine fauna.
Meetings have already been held with the regional director of the Ministry of the Environment, Griselio Hayans, the deputy director of Migration, María Isabel Saravia, the deputy director of the National Border Service, Luis Trejos, authorities from the Ombudsman’s Office, the Ministry of Health, the National Secretary of Childhood, Adolescence and Family, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), among others.
WITH INFORMATION FROM THE MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
