Main threats and issues facing the San Blas Islands
Where it is
- The San Blas islands lie off the north coast of Panama in the Caribbean Sea.
- There are 365 islands and most of them are uninhabited
- The islands are low-lying and protected by coral reefs
Basic Facts
- The indigenous people are called the Guna (formerly Kuna) and live on the main islands
- The Guna communities on the San Blas and the Caribbean coast form an indigenous province in northeast Panama which is known as Guna Yala
- They have their own Assembly and autonomy over their own affairs
Weather
- The San Blas Islands lie outside the Atlantic hurricane zone
- The weather is mainly hot and humid
- There is a short dry season from about January to April and a longer rainy season from May to December
Culture
- The Guna have preserved much of their traditional lifestyle, and have a rich culture of legends, music and dance.
- They speak their own language but Spanish is also spoken.
- Guna women create unique appliqué cloth panels called Molas
- Tourism is a main source of income as tourists come to enjoy the beautiful sandy
beaches, clear tropical waters and coral reefs - The islands are also popular with sailors as they are outside the hurricane zone
- The Guna practice subsistence agriculture (coconuts, bananas) and catch fish and
lobsters - They use traditional dugout canoes to sail between the islands
Flora and Fauna
- The San Blas reef system is considered to be one of the 10 best preserved in the
world - The reefs are home to many types of colourful fish and marine mammals such
as porpoises
Main environmental challenges
- Rising sea levels
- Coral reef damage due to:
– ocean acidification
– mining by local people to create more land,
which also causes coastal erosion - Pollution: no facilities for recycling plastics, batteries and other non-biodegradable waste
- Lack of fresh water supplies
