Panama's mangrove forests contribute US$11,300 per hectare per year
23% of the country's surface area, or about 17,193 km2, represent lagoons and inland lakes, mangroves, seagrasses, coral reefs and estuarine zones (estuaries, estuaries or river mouths to the sea), examples of wetlands of high ecological value and of great importance from an environmental and socioeconomic point of view due to their multiple functions, values and attributes.
According to the study Mangroves of Panama: importance, best practices and current regulations (ANAM-ARAP, 2013), the valuations made when valuing the ecological benefits, in the case of mangroves indicate that they contribute US$11,300 per hectare per year (including the ecosystem service of breeding habitat for marine commercial fishing species, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection).
For the estimated 170,000 hectares existing in the country, these ecosystems lend the Panamanian economy approximately 2,000 million US$/year; which is approximately equivalent to what is generated by the Panama Canal.
In order to maintain or increase these figures, the National Wetlands Policy proposes as a goal that "by the year 2030 the wetland ecosystems of the Republic of Panama be used in a responsible and inclusive manner, through the use of sustainable productive practices, compliance with regulations and the development of good management practices and management of these ecosystems.
The valuation of wetlands is measured based on the ecological goods and benefits (flood control, groundwater recharge, nutrient replacement, retention of toxic substances) provided by the wetland, likewise, some of the economic activities that are generated within these are fisheries, agriculture, forestry, recreation, its responsible implementation is crucial for the sustainable development of communities and growth of Panama as a resilient country.
Different studies indicate that the country has a great quantity and diversity of wetlands, but at this moment there is no exact number. Because of this, it was reported that the Ministry is initiating a comprehensive review in order to estimate the quantity, variety and coverage of wetlands in the country.
José Julio Casas, National Director of Coasts and Seas of the Ministry of Environment, informed that scientifically based reviews are being carried out to see if new protected areas can be established for wetland conservation.
"Already in 2019 we designated Boná which has reef cover within its boundaries and we are in a technical review process for the expansion of the Bastimentos Island Marine National Park and the Iguana Island Wildlife Refuge, both with wetlands of great ecological value," he said.
Wetlands in Panama, as in other countries, face multiple threats such as:
- Unsustainable coastal development (residential, commercial, tourism, among others), affecting ecosystems through drainage, logging, landfills, and alterations of the hydrology and coastal dynamics.
- Conversion of wetland areas to agricultural production, particularly as monoculture (African palm, rice, bananas, among others).
- Unsustainable watershed management, including development of hydroelectric projects without consideration of ecological flow and cumulative effects.
- Lack of management of solid waste and sewage produced in urban centers and other rural towns.
Regarding fauna, Casas stated that unfortunately all ecosystems (including wetlands) are threatened by illegal hunting, as well as the extraction of organisms, many times corals are extracted to be used as ornaments, or for aquarophilia (aquarium and fish tank industry). The mangrove has always been used for different activities such as charcoal production, among others.
For this reason, in order to reduce these threats, the Ministry of the Environment has established strategies to contribute to the positioning of the valorization of the country's environmental goods and services: one of them is the development and implementation of the National Plan for Communication, Education, Public Awareness and Participation (CEPA) for wetlands in Panama, a clear example is the site plan for the Panama Bay wetlands.
They emphasize that the Panama Sanitation Program is carrying out environmental education activities, supporting scientific research, and partnering with non-governmental organizations to prepare educational materials for the conservation of the Panama Bay Wetland.
Data
World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2. It was decreed in 1997 and the date was chosen in commemoration of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, held on February 2, 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.
According to Casas, Panama, as a signatory to the Convention on Wetlands, recognizes that wetlands are all areas of marshes, swamps and peat bogs, or areas covered by water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, still or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters.
Type of Wetlands
- Marine: coastal lagoons, rocky shores, seagrasses and coral reefs.
- Estuarine: Including deltas, tidal marshes and mangroves.
- Lacustrine: Wetlands associated with lakes.
- Riparian: Wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams.
- Palustrine: Swamps and marshes.
Source: http://elsiglo.com.pa/economia/humedales-riqueza-gran-valor-natural-economico/24172156
