Cartí Sugtupu

"Cartí" redirects here. For the airport, see Cartí Airport.

Cartí Sugtupu, also spelled Gardi Sugdub,^[1] is an island in the San Blas Archipelago in the Guna Yala province of Panama. It is the southernmost and largest of four populated Carti Islands (the others are Cartí Tupile in the north, Carti Yandup in the west, and Carti Muladub in the east),^[2] and lies 1200 meters off the northern coast of mainland Panama.^[3][4][5] The island is densely populated and houses a small harbour and a museum. Its indigenous inhabitants are Guna.^[6][7][8]

Cartí Sugtupu Carti Suitopo
Cartí Sugtupu
Coordinates: 09°28′14″N 78°57′40″W
Country	Panama
Province	Guna Yala
Area
• Total	0.037 km2 (0.014 sq mi)
Population  (2010-05-16)
• Total	927

Cartí Sugtupu can be reached by boat from the nearby onshore settlement of Carti and the Cartí Airport, which are both connected to the main Panamanian road network. The other island groups of San Blas archipelago, including El Porvenir, Cayos Limones, and Cayos Holandeses, can be reached by taxi boat.

The island's population is in the process of relocating to the mainland of Panama due to rising sea levels. As of 2017 this move was on hold until funding for the construction of housing and completion of public amenities was obtained.^[8][7] The move started in June 2024, with 300 families moving to Nuevo Cartí, a new mainland settlement close to the island.^[9][10][11] Although nearby, the new settlement is forested rather than having the same relationship with the sea. Residents described the move with sadness as a major lifestyle change that leaves behind more than 200 years of culture.^[1]

The community is considered the first in Panama to be displaced by climate change. The government of Panama predicted that the island will be completely underwater by 2050, as will several other islands in the archipelago.^[12]

References

1. "Panama prepares to evacuate first island in face of rising sea levels". RNZ. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
2. [xttps://satellites.pro/plan/Carti_Tupile_map#O9.474090,-78.960741,17 "Map of Carti Tupile (Panama, Guna Yala)"]. Retrieved 8 June 2024. Change "xttps" to "https" to open
3. "Carti". Google Maps. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
4. "Huffington Post". Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
5. "Carti Island Nautical Chart". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
6. Panama prepares to evacuate first island in face of rising sea levels BY MATÍAS DELACROIX AND JUAN ZAMORANo, 1 June 2024, AP News.
7. "The island people with a climate change escape plan". BBC News. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
8. McCleland, Jacob (12 November 2015). "Rising Sea Levels Threaten Tiny Islands Home To Indigenous Panamanians". Archived from the original on 13 October 2018.
9. "Panama's first climate change displaced bid their island farewell". France 24. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
10. "As seas rise, the relocation of Caribbean islanders has begun". The Economist. 4 June 2024.
11. Rodriguez, Kelybeth (4 June 2024). "Mudanza de Isla Gardí Sugdub a Nuevo Cartí avanza con éxito". RPC Radio (in Spanish). Corporación Medcom Panamá.
12. Rodríguez, Juan José. "'Life goes on'—Panama islanders relocated as sea level rises". phys.org. Retrieved 10 June 2024.

External links

Delacroix, Matias (7 June 2024). "Image of people moving to new homes in Nuevo Cartí". The Guardian. AP. Retrieved 8 June 2024. Click image for caption.