The Canal Expansion's Softer Side
By Juan Carlos Martinez
The Canal expansion is moving right on schedule. The Panama Canal Basin meaning the network of rivers, streams and artificial lake around the Canal play a very important part in the functioning of the Canal and the Republic of Panama as a whole. It supplies water to more than half the population in the country and is used for power generation as well. In addition to this it has an immense biodiversity, which is part of a protected area and is a cultural patrimony as it is home to some of Panama's native tribes.
As part of its commitment to sustainable development the Canal Authority prepared an extensive Environmental Impact Study which is available on the website. It details quite clearly the steps to be taken to minimize impact to vegetation and wildlife both during the construction phase as well as the operation phase. Evidently the greatest impact will be during the construction phase as great tracks of land had to be cleared for dredging.
The Canal Expansion must necessarily eliminate existing vegetation however the commitment the ACP has made with ANAM (Environmental Authority of Panama) includes an aggressive reforestation phase to replace the vegetation eliminated and the correct disposal of the eliminated vegetation as well so it does not contaminate the basin.
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The Canal Expansion's Environmental Impact Study also contemplates the rescue of the wildlife displaced by the deforestation. This is a very delicate process as these animals must be captured, evaluated and then relocated. It sounds simple, three steps, but recently the Canal periodical had an article about how it is done and if you are an animal lover the process is very interesting. The company in charge of this process on the Atlantic side is Corporación de Desarrollo Ambiental (CODESA). As they are dealing with wildlife that seems to have a mind of their own the animal counts they have are just not accurate. CODESA has established the start day but they do not know when they will finish clearing up an area.
Initially they spot the animals that must be captured for subsequent release, then they proceed to capture the animals with the utmost care as the idea is to capture them unharmed. After this the animals are checked by a veterinarian they then will be released in an area previously approved by ANAM as the adequate habitat for each particular animal.
CODESA has worked on the dredging contracts carried out by the Belgian company Jan de Nul n.v. As well as on the third set of locks being carried out by the group Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC). Up to April of this year 709 animal had been relocated after being verified by a veterinarian. Overall during the expansion they have rescued 2,353 animals, among them reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. The most common animals are sloths, snakes of various kinds including poisonous ones and 3 meter long boa constrictors, ñeques (a local furry mammal), wild rabbits, ant eaters, monkeys of various kinds, among others.
The staff of CODESA is comprised by veterinarians, biologists, assistants, engineers, most of them from the province of Colon. The rescues are closely supervised by the ACP and must comply with the guidelines ANAM approved.
This work is being carried out to protect Panama's wonderful biodiversity and protect the natural resource comprised by the Panama Canal Basin which is vital to Panama's economy.
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