Overcrowding and climate change in Panama: relocation of a Guna Community from their island to the mainland

Around 300 Guna families living on the densely populated island of Gardi Sugdub in Panama's Guna Yala comarca have been forced to establish a new neighborhood on the mainland. Labeled by international observers as among the first climate change migrants in Latin America, the community faces significant transitions away from their historical maritime environment. While mainland relocation alleviates severe island density and flood vulnerability, it brings new socioeconomic and infrastructural challenges. The shift highlights the complex realities facing indigenous peoples navigating international climate funding and state-backed resettlement programs.