“If the island sinks, I will sink with it,” Delfino Davies says, his smile unwavering. But the silence that surrounds him on Gardi Sugdub, his ancestral home, speaks volumes. “Before, you could hear children shouting… music everywhere, neighbors arguing,” he recalls. “But now all the sounds have gone.” His community, the Guna, are the first in Panama to be displaced by the encroaching sea, a stark reality of climate change.
A Community on the Brink
Gardi Sugdub, a tiny, low-lying island in the Panamanian archipelago, has been home to the Guna for centuries. But rising sea levels, driven by global warming, threaten to engulf their island by 2050, according to scientists. The Panamanian government, recognizing the “imminent risk,” initiated a relocation effort, moving most residents to the mainland in June 2024.
This relocation, while hailed by some as a model for other at-risk communities, has divided the Guna. Delfino, like many who remain, clings to his island, his connection to the ocean, and his Guna traditions. “The people that lose their tradition lose their soul,” he explains.
Leaving Pieces of Life Behind
The new settlement, Isberyala, just a short boat ride and drive from Gardi Sugdub, presents a stark contrast. Rows of identical prefabricated houses replace the close-knit, overwater homes of the island. For Magdalena Martínez, who made the move, the transition is bittersweet. “You feel like you are leaving pieces of your life on the island,” she laments. She misses the familiar streets, the proximity to the sea, and the community she grew up with.
Isberyala offers some improvements – more space, constant electricity (though water supply remains an issue), and a modern school. Magdalena dreams of planting a garden, a luxury impossible on the crowded island. But the emotional cost of leaving her home is palpable.
Preserving Culture in a New Land
The Guna are determined to preserve their rich culture in their new environment. Tito López, the community leader, emphasizes that their identity and traditions will endure, even as their physical surroundings change. The new school in Isberyala teaches traditional music and dance, ensuring that the next generation carries on the Guna heritage.
The relocation of the Guna is a microcosm of a global crisis. As climate change accelerates, millions of people worldwide face displacement from rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation. The story of Gardi Sugdub serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of climate change and the urgent need for action.
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