Bocas del Toro on Alert for Landslides Amid Saturated Soils

Bocas del Toro faces an elevated risk of landslides as persistent rains saturate the region's soils. Provincial authorities are maintaining a heightened state of vigilance, responding to recent incidents and ongoing rainfall.

The Provincial Technical Board convened to assess the impacts and coordinate response efforts, particularly following the declaration of a state of emergency due to the effects of El Niño. Sandra Blake, regional director of the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc), warned that the accumulation of water poses a significant threat.

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The lands are quite saturated with water, and several landslides could occur at different points.

"The lands are quite saturated with water, and several landslides could occur at different points," Blake stated. She noted that the rains might continue until December and acknowledged that no institution can be fully prepared for the conditions brought about by climate change. Nevertheless, she assured that preventive actions are underway.

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Nobody is fully prepared, but we are working on daily prevention, monitoring, and preparing people and schools.

"Nobody is fully prepared, but we are working on daily prevention, monitoring, and preparing people and schools," Blake added. Marcela Madrid, the governor of Bocas del Toro, recalled the province's recurring experiences with floods, landslides, and overflowing rivers and streams.

"In the province of Bocas del Toro, we have repeatedly seen the experience of it raining. We have constantly had flood impacts, we have had landslides, we have had swollen rivers that have overflowed; likewise, streams," the governor declared. During the meeting, the response capabilities of various entities were reviewed in light of the prevailing atmospheric conditions in the region.

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In the province of Bocas del Toro, we have repeatedly seen the experience of it raining. We have constantly had flood impacts, we have had landslides, we have had swollen rivers that have overflowed; likewise, streams.