The recent BBC article, “Climate Change: Panama Community Escape from the Drowning Island” claims that sea levels rise in sea levels are swallowing Panama’s Cartí Sugdupu Island due to climate change. This is wrong. [emphasis, links added]
The reality is that the island’s residents are not forced to relocate due to the increase in the ocean, but are overcrowded, poor infrastructure and lack of resources, which has nothing to do with climate change.
Furthermore, real-world examples and peer-reviewed research contradict the notion and conception that islands disappear due to rising oceans. Instead, as time goes by, many islands are growing, adapting and naturally changing.
The BBC report is misleading at best and intentionally deceptive at worst.
CartíSugdupu is one of the San Blas Islands of Panama and is home to the indigenous Gunas.
The BBC article maps images of climate-induced displacement, Totally ignore the fact that the island is seriously crowded, with over 1,000 people filling a small space of only 0.028 square miles.
That's a higher population density than New York City!
Residents move not primarily from sea levels, but from poor living conditions, lack of fresh water and space shortages, which have been oppressed for decades.
Rather than addressing these fundamental issues, the BBC has viewed relocation as a direct result of climate change, although there is no evidence that the ocean is responsible.
Sea levels around Panama rise on average about 1 to 3 mm per year, consistent with natural post-glacial ice age trends, a rate that has not yet risen during recent climate change.
Therefore, there is no sign of an upcoming climate disaster climate. At this rate, it took centuries to face the submersion.
Some new islands are even emerging. For example, in the article San Blas Reborn: New islands appear hysterically in climate change: According to reports:
A new island gradually formed in the shape of the Maokui coast in New York City, Netherlands. Over the past decade, it started out as just a piece of land about 5 meters by 8 meters, and to 40 meters by 80 meters.
On the coast of Maokui in New York City, the Netherlands, a new island is gradually forming. Over the past decade, it started out as just a piece of land about 5 meters by 8 meters, and to 40 meters by 80 meters.
A study published in 2018 Natural Communications Checked 101 Pacific and Indian Ocean islands and found 88% stable or size increase (Kench, Ford, & Owen, 2018).
The process of shaping islands – accumulation, growth of coral reefs and dynamic land movements, i.e. atolls and low-lying islands are not passive victims of sea level rise.
Tuvalu is a perfect example. Despite years of claiming that the country will disappear, In forty years, its total land area has even increased by 2.9%.
Similar observations are made on the islands of Kiribati, Maldives and Marshall Islands.
If these islands are growing or maintaining their size despite rising sea levels, why would CartíSugdupu be destined to be unique? The BBC refuses to acknowledge the reality of this inconvenience.
The real reason for relocating residents of CartíSugdupu has nothing to do with climate change. Instead, it depends on the basic infrastructure challenges:
- Excessive population – From the head photos, the island is overcrowded and has nowhere to expand. Unlike naturally growing coral atolls, CartíSugdupu is an isolated, inhabited island with no additional housing or development space.
- Lack of fresh water and sanitation – Many small islands struggle with freshwater supply. The BBC ignores this and attributes all difficulties to climate change.
- Economic and government decisions – The Panama government is relocating residents, which is part of the plan, not an emergency evacuation due to rising waters.
The BBC report is a classic example of climate shockism dressed up as journalism, which pushes narrative while ignoring key facts.
Rather than investigating the real reasons for CartíSugdupu relocation (outside population, lack of infrastructure and government decisions) BBC mistakenly believes climate change is forcing its residents to relocate.
It was the government that made this decision, not because the oceans rose at an unusual historical rate.
The BBC ignored peer-reviewed research, refuting the disappearance of its island, without mentioning historical sea level trends, and neglecting important local factors that explain the island’s challenges.
This is not an objective report, but activism disguised as news. BBC listeners deserve better and deserve the truth.
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