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Panama is evacuating residents of the tiny Gardi Sugdub island because of rising sea levels. The island's inhabitants are being relocated to the mainland. A government official said some people are refusing to leave their ancestral home. They will stay until the last minute. The government said Gardi Sugdub is a sign of things to come. Many more islands are under threat from being engulfed. A recent environmental study estimated Panama would lose 2.01 per cent of its coastal territory to rising sea levels. It added that 38,000 people will need to be relocated.
Gardi Sugdub has been home to the indigenous Guna people for generations. The tiny, overcrowded island was home to nearly 300 families. They relied on fishing to make a living. Islander Nadin Morales said: "We're a little sad…but the sea is sinking the island." She added: "Climate change has had a major impact.…The tide comes to a level it didn't before." Ms Morales hopes her community will prosper in its new location. She will soon live in a $12 million government development. This is two kilometres from the port from which boats go to Gardi Sugdub.
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