Panama City's 'Green World': Saving the city's 7 river basins from pollution

Panama City's rivers are a major conduit for pollution, carrying vast amounts of waste into the Bay of Panama, with plastic bottles and other solid debris accumulating in interception barriers.

The Juan Díaz River serves as a stark example, where small discarded items coalesce into massive garbage patches. Laura González, director of Marea Verde, noted the significant volume of waste, especially during the rainy season, which marks the peak workload for the organization. "As you can see, there is constantly a large volume of waste, especially in these rainy seasons which are like the peak work time for Marea Verde," she stated.

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As you can see, there is constantly a large volume of waste, especially in these rainy seasons which are like the peak work time for Marea Verde.

While the river's mouth shows signs of decades of pollution, its upper reaches retain better conditions, suggesting potential for ecosystem recovery. Freddy Romero, collection coordinator for Wanda, highlighted the variety of waste, including plastic bottles, organic matter, doors, refrigerators, and numerous other objects daily entering the Juan Díaz River. James Patterson, project manager at The Ocean Clean Up, expressed the goal of restoring the river's upper basin conditions to the entire river, stating, "As you can see, this is the beginning of the Juan Díaz River; I am sure the situation is not the same further down. Our goal is that one day the river will look like this again with much less trash."

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What arrives here the most are plastic bottles, apart from organic waste, doors, refrigerators, and quantities of objects that arrive daily to the Juan Díaz River.

The problem extends beyond the Juan Díaz River, with the Matías Hernández River also experiencing significant waste accumulation, prompting Marea Verde to install another barrier. In the past four years, the barrier on the Juan Díaz River alone has removed approximately 500,000 kilograms of trash. To address this escalating issue, the "Siete Cuencas" project has been launched. This initiative seeks to enhance waste interception across seven priority rivers in Panama Province, including Juan Díaz, Matías Hernández, Río Abajo, Matasnillo, Curundú, Tapia, and Caimitillo.

The "Siete Cuencas" project involves identifying key rivers, installing barriers, and developing upstream strategies to prevent waste from entering waterways. Additionally, the initiative emphasizes community involvement through environmental recovery efforts and education on proper waste management. Patterson mentioned the surprising biodiversity found in the area, including hammerhead shark pups in the mangroves of the Bay of Panama, underscoring the ecological importance of these efforts.

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As you can see, this is the beginning of the Juan Díaz River; I am sure the situation is not the same further down. Our goal is that one day the river will look like this again with much less trash.