On May 12, 2023, the Government of Panama officially launched the Resilient Watersheds project: fostering adaptation to climate change in Panama through the ecosystem approach
to water security, funded by the European Union through the Euroclima+ Program.
Panama is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts that result in negative impacts to the country's water security. Climate projections show that these impacts will be increasingly critical to community livelihoods, infrastructure, and key economic sectors such as agriculture and energy.
In 2019, the country experienced the fifth driest year in the last 70 years, with a 20% decrease in rainfall compared to the historical average. On the other hand, in late 2020, floods caused enormous damage to the agricultural sector and infrastructure in the country's western provinces. This same year 2023, the Panama Canal has had to restrict transit on several occasions due to water shortages.
The project known as Resilient Watersheds, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Union (EU) Delegation in Panama, aims to address water security in the country by placing water management at the centre of adaptation efforts. It promotes climate resilience and vulnerability reduction through the improvement of technical capacities, the generation of basin climate vulnerability and risk studies, the improvement of watershed governance, and the implementation of Ecosystem-based Adaptation measures.
The project will focus on ten priority watersheds, considering their water resources, climate vulnerability, energy and food production importance at the national level, and opportunities to strengthen local governance in collaboration with Watershed Committees. It will be a strategic approach to ensure water security and promote sustainability in these key areas of the country.
To mark the official launch of the project, an event was held in Panama City attended by representatives of the Panamanian government, the European Union delegation, members of the United Nations and civil society organizations.
Felice Zaccheo, Head of Unit for Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Regional Operations, European Commission, mentioned that Panama, like other countries in the region, is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, seriously affecting water resources and stressed "That is why the European Union supports Panama in this project to strengthen the country's capacity to adapt to climate change, improving the management of water accounts and practical ways to ensure water supply".
Piedad Martin, UNEP's Deputy Regional Director for Latin America, and the Caribbean, said: "We hope that this project can contribute to the transformation in the integration of climate information in decision-making on water resource management and that it can also serve as an example for the countries of the Central American region".
In her speech, Ligia Castro, Director of Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment of Panama, highlighted the importance of incorporating climate change into water resource management to ensure effective planning and management of water security in the country.
Finally, the key role of the EU in Latin America and the Caribbean was highlighted, promoting climate ambition, and building regional networks to achieve climate goals through collective action. The EU-UNEP alliance, through the Euroclima+ Program, promotes climate dialogue to strengthen joint work in the region.
To learn more about the Resilient Watersheds project in the context of NDC adaptation issues in Panama, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. for more information on UNEP's work on climate adaptation.
About Euroclima
Euroclima is a program funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German federal government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union, and Cooperation. The Program's mission is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean by promoting mitigation, adaptation, resilience, climate investment and biodiversity. To this end, it is implemented according to the "Spirit of Team Europe" under the synergistic work of seven agencies: Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), AFD Group: Agence Française de Développement (AFD)/ Expertise France (EF), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the world's leading environmental authority. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
For more information, please contact UNEP's Regional Communication Unit in Latin America and the Caribbean: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.