SUBJ: A few humble thoughts and observations from Isla Colon, Panama a Caribbean Region, with a permacultures’ perspective to contribute to ; What story can Small Island Developing States (SIDS) tell on addressing the relationship between poverty and climate change?
Island life inherently calls for a certain amount of sustainability. On the island where the Nutritional Diversity study in Bocas del Toro, Panama is located, having a water tank and a septic system is a necessity. The central distribution of water in the community comes on once or twice a day, and water is often collected in a storage tank (5$ bucket to 500$ plastic) of your own to have it at your home tap all day long. Many home tap water pressure is aided with a home water pump (150$). If one cannot afford a human waist septic system they will go into the ocean or behind a tree. Unfortunately, I told by local residents even large hotels are at times responsible for significant waist spills into the waters just right there at the beaches.
The ex-pat, tourist communities that come from where these garbage products are created do most of the humanitarian work to clean it up on the Panama island beaches and unfortunate dumping sites from my brief observations. The island has greatly benefited (in most eyes) from tourism and expatriotism. Still many will say that further development along this path will end up being too much and the quality will slide down a degree from a peak quality of life marker.
This particular Island boasts many benefits, such as no storms, insulated calm archipelago waters, and during the last cycle of damaging hurricanes the island experienced minor storm weather.
Sudden booms in population, and large ship traffic and boat traffic around the town of Almirante, Panama where much of the Chiquita Banana crop was once farmed, with large port equipment installations has created water quite toxic in its bay. Water is essential to all human life and always has been this community has surely suffered greatly it is water condition.
Many local people feel a certain level of resentment to the foreign occupation of their country that almost mirrors them is population size now. It's hard to say if foreign influxes motivate new hopes or ideas.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Sustainable Technologies:
Barbados was a big customer of home roof top water heater systems. The system has a 500 gallon tank and compression, vacuum tube heaters and ends up being 6 foot by 4 foot roughly and be very careful, the water coming out of this tank is hot! I have not seen this here yet.
Barbados is different than normal volcanic earth island terrain, it is a surfaced natural water purifying reef. The locals simply drill into the reef and disposes waist into it. Coastal water there was as clean as can be and the run distilled there, is famously some of the best here is. Barbados is the only other island I have had the pleasure to visit in the Caribbean.
Local growing here on Isla Colon is limited mostly to papaya, platoon, banana, pineapple, and yucca cassava, and surprisingly few people grow things, and when they do , they often grow a small amount, Some growers will have guandu, some more exotic tubers, sandias, zapio, potatoes, tomatoes, celery and perennial vegetables, etc. In the area of the islands of Bocas del Toro, Panama and abundance of incredible foreign entities
Well water, and spring installation is unknown to most of the residents.
Panama however struggles with unfortunate waist spills and dumps that collect in her harbours. Septic waist processing, with leech fields and composting toilets are used many times for septic waist. The archipelago features a warm protected waters, places that dolphins accumulate etc. However, also when toxicity enters the water from the town, it can be around for a few days.
Well Made Educational programs that show families how to receive immediate benefit from sustaineable and permaculture practices could be seriously beneficial. People here I have noticed love the cell phones, they love the video age. Vidoe delivery of permaculture information intheri language and other languages can lead to a more smart, diverse and capable community.
It could be a long shot culturally, but a stern thought is that integrated 'humanuer' processing systems could do great for small permaculture, sustainable properties. These types of larger plant site, type installations can be made for only double the cost of what is common now.
On a home level, Permaculture experiments and farms have narrowed the process to a well defined functional and sanitary process with excellent results as fertilizer for plants. It is almost a motivation to be healthy so that more healthy foods are created for the plants they love on their small farm.
Again, permaculture has the answers within it is doctrine, to solve a host of issues for a communities quality of life. Combined with solar, and developments like the Tesla battery, a modern, compartmentalized, sustainable community is very achievable.
Considering the power for people to motivated most by what effects them most, I have myself determined that Nutritional Diversity diet education, should be a top priority worldwide. Get involved.
I can offer the observation also from this Bocas del Toro Island experience over the last 6 years that , between tourist and retired foreigners the growth and modernization of the island has been exponential. I can offer the right place to stay for your trip to Bocas del Toro
to make sure you get the permaculture experience, at a small but very special, and dedicated study place of different permaculture and tropical farming evolutions as well as Nutritional Diversity food techniques and study.
There have been many like us, foreign relocaters, and students of the tropical nature that have inspired a lot of cool and helpful study in the realms of sustainable living and combined with the incredible talents of the locals, such as chainsaw and wood working, and thatched roof making, very sustainable happy joint communities can be established, and a friend of mine there Henry, on one of the surrounding islands is a perfect example of local family and foreign family integration and appreciation.
Many young talented locals have benefited enormously from foreign sponsorship, and the increase of foreign population and tourists. The knowledge levels of people and the facility of local technologies such as Wi-Fi and local TV station, have been impressive to witness.
The Board of Tourism and many local offices here and across Panama has done a great job keeping things nice, marketing for tourism, and supporting a solid steady development.
The cultural barrier between Panama's natives and it is new comers is a pretty thick one. One side or the other may be good and putting a nice face to things, but time charity, and miracles will be most likely to see a more accepting and appreciative attitudes across the devide. I think it is everyone's observation that the developed world is on it is way to develop Bocas del Toro.
Mr. Brandon Eisler