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World Heritage Centre Visits Central America's Largest Rainforest, Panama's La Amistad, Threatened by Dams |
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PANAMA CITY, PANAMA, Feb. 19 -/E-Wire/--
Conservation groups from Panama, Costa Rica, and the United States are preparing to meet with a delegation from the World Heritage Centre and World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Panama to discuss threats to La Amistad International Park. La Amistad is a World Heritage site shared by Panama and Costa Rica that protects the largest, most diverse virgin rainforest remaining in Central America. It is one of the last refuges for such endangered species as the jaguar, ocelot, Central American tapir, resplendent quetzal, and harpy eagle. According to IUCN, the floral diversity of La Amistad is "perhaps unequaled in any other reserve of equivalent size in the world."
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The World Heritage Committee, a group of 21 countries representing the 184 countries that are party to the World Heritage Convention, is part of UNESCO and responsible for implementing a 1972 treaty to protect natural and cultural areas. In April 2007, the Center for Biological Diversity led a coalition of more than 30 conservation and indigenous organizations to file a petition with the World Heritage Committee to list La Amistad as a World Heritage site "in danger," due in large part to pending construction of four hydroelectric dams in the site's buffer zone. The dams (three of which will be operated by the U.S.-based AES Corporation and one of which will be run by the Colombian-owned Hidroecologica del Teribe, S.A.) are set to be built on two important rivers originating inside La Amistad: the Changuinola and the Bonyic (a tributary of the Teribe). The resulting change in the river system will alter the ecology of La Amistad by blocking water passage for many migratory aquatic species and creating large, standing reservoirs.
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On June 26, 2007, the World Heritage Committee decided to take action based on this petition, which it referred to as "well researched and credible," and is sending a joint delegation of the World Heritage Centre and IUCN to evaluate the level of threats faced by La Amistad.
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"The decision adopted by the World Heritage Committee demonstrates a strong commitment to the conservation of World Heritage sites," said Peter Galvin, conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "We hope this sets a precedent for protecting sites under threat from hydroelectric dam construction."
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The dams also put at great risk indigenous Naso and Ngobe communities that have lived for generations in La Amistad's buffer zone. With increasing pressure from the government and the corporations, the situation for indigenous peoples has become increasingly perilous, leading in some cases to brutal repression by police forces. On January 3, 2008, more than 50 Ngobe people from the village of Charco la Pava were beaten and imprisoned for protesting the dams and the fact that their village had been destroyed. The use of police repression by the government, according to Susana Serracin, a Panamanian lawyer assisting the Ngobe, "is violating human rights by illegally accosting and incarcerating indigenous people in order to 'clear' the area to permit work on the hydroelectric dams to proceed."
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The World Heritage Centre/IUCN visit will occur during the week of February 18, 2008, during which the delegation will meet with government agencies from both countries, as well as other groups concerned with the future of La Amistad. The Center for Biological Diversity will continue assisting the efforts of environmental and indigenous groups in Panama and will be present to discuss with the delegation. The visit will focus on the incompatibility of constructing dams near World Heritage sites and maintaining the sites' integrity. Contact Info:
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Peter Galvin
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Tel : 520-970-1533
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Jason Gray
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Tel : 406-781-4154
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Linda Barrera (Panama)
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Tel : +(507) 6731-5722 or 6734-1703
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Website : the Center for Biological Diversity
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/SOURCE:
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the Center for Biological Diversity |
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02-19-2008 |
/CONTACT:
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Peter Galvin
Tel : 520-970-1533
Jason Gray
Tel : 406-781-4154
Linda Barrera (Panama)
Tel : +(507) 6731-5722 or 6734-1703 |
| /WEB SITE: |
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org
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