Rising sea levels threaten Panama’s San Blas islands

With a rising water level of 3.4 millimetres annually, the islands of the Panamanian archipelago of San Blas are at high risk of being submerged, and researchers predict that they will be uninhabitable by the end of the century.

The rising sea levels are impacting both residents and tourists. In the past year, some of the Guna people of the San Blas island of Gardi Sugdub have begun moving to the mainland as Panama’s government began the process of relocating 300 families. As a popular destination for visitors eager to view its beautiful coral reefs, San Blas’s tourism industry is also threatened by the climate change-induced effects.

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image acquired on 5 November 2023 shows the San Blas islands in the Caribbean Sea, north of Panama’s mainland.

Copernicus Sentinel satellites are key to the reliable and consistent monitoring of coastal zones around the world, allowing authorities and researchers to track the impacts of climate change on affected ecosystems and communities.