ටිකෙන් ටික මූදටම යන කැරිබියන් දූපත්

Caribbean islanders relocated as rising sea levels threaten survival

Rising sea levels are forcing indigenous people on Panama's island of Carti Sugtupu to leave their home, as climate change pose significant challenge to coastal communities of the Caribbean.

Roads on the small island were muddy and slippery when a China Central Television (CCTV) reporter arrived here on a rainy day in late July. The lack of drainage system causes repeated waterlogging. Locals told CCTV that in recent years, rising sea levels will swallow up main roads on the island for one or two months every year. Now over 1,000 of the approximately 1,200 inhabitants have been relocated.

Although the Panamanian government has built new houses for the islanders, some people are reluctant to leave the place where they were born, and 73-year-old Altagracia is one of them.

"I was born on the island. It's my home. I don't want to leave home. I want to stay here," said Altagracia.

There is a full-time school on the island. Now 80 percent of the students have moved to their new houses. But since construction of new school buildings has not been finished, the already relocated students must walk three kilometers and then take a boat for 15 minutes to attend classes for the moment.

The principal said the new school will be put into use in over a month. School officials are worried that children who stay on the island will then have difficulties in going to school.

"The weather changes suddenly around October to November every year. The rising sea levels also add to the challenges for our work as the roads will be flooded. Imagine that children walk on roads in this situation. Therefore, relocating the school is a matter of great urgency. The conditions of the new school will be very different," said Francisco González, the principal.

The tropical island used to be a popular tourist destination by virtue of its beautiful beaches. Climate change is also expected to deal a blow to residents who earn revenue from tourism.

"The situation is worrisome, because there are usually a lot of international tourists visiting here. If the beaches disappear, we may have to go back to the days of farming and fishing," said Joan Erman, a resident employed in the tourism industry.

Carti Sugtupu is not the only island threatened by rising sea levels. The San Blas Archipelago to which it belongs has around 350 islands, and only 49 of them are currently inhabited. The Panamanian government predicts that all San Blas islands will be underwater by 2050.

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