Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program (LACS) Seminar Series

Suriname is a country in the northern part of South America. Having a tropical humid climate, about 93% of the country is covered by rainforest. This is also the area where many of the indigenous and tribal communities (descendants from run away African slaves) live. 

One of these tribal communities, the Saamaka, is situated in the Upper Suriname River Area and consists of over 70 villages that mainly lie along the Suriname river (one of Suriname’s most important rivers). This community has been practicing agriculture in the form of shifting cultivation for almost 300 years.  This form of cultivation can be described as a piece of land (forest) that is first cleared and afterwards various crops such as cassava, banana, peanuts, rice and sweet potato are planted over a period of 2-3 years and afterwards the farmer clears a new plot to repeat the same steps due to a decline in soil fertility and reduced crop yield.

Just like the urban areas in Suriname, the Saamaka have noticed a change in the climate in the form of prolonged periods of draught and heavy rainfall which often results in flooding of the villages and farm land.

In an effort to adapt and mitigate these phenomena, this community with the help of Tropenbos Suriname (local NGO) has started to adapt climate smart agricultural practices in the form of agroforestry.

Humans and the Environment in the Coastal & Canal Zone of Panama:

Scientists are worried about the way several external factors are contributing to the deterioration along Panama’s central Caribbean rainforest and coastal-marine ecosystems and preventing recovery in areas affected by contamination because they are practically doomed by anthropogenic development. If unplanned development continues on the rise, the ecosystem could continue to survive in previously healthy areas, but without any sustainable and substantial recovery.    

The University of Panama is trying to implement a permanent system of scientific interdisciplinary researches in order to conserve the natural resources in Colón province (mangrove forest, sandy beaches, sea grasses, coral reefs, rainforest). These researches have a great priority for the Country of Panama for three reasons: first, due to the proximity of the area to the Panama Canal watershed; second, because Colón is located on the Caribbean side of Panama, with the second largest commercial city of the country (urban and industrial area) and communities claimed for sustainable development alternatives; third, to provide a research site for Panamanian and international scientists to implement environmental education, international center for studies around the unique ecosystem that is protecting Colon City and surrounding communities of the frequent floods in wet season and also serve both as a natural break water and wildlife refuge.

Javier Hurtado Yow is an Environmental Biologist & Educator with expertise in environmental sciences related to human rights. He has a Master’s in Environmental Management of Tropical Ecosystems obtained at Paris Tech Institute, France. He’s Professor of the Practice at the University of Panama and Regional Manager at the Panama's Human Rights office (Defensoría del Pueblo). His goals revolve around enhancing capacities in natural resource and environmental management in the interoceanic zone of the Panama Canal. His aim is to create and develop initiatives and policies that improve the sustainability of socioeconomic and environmental conditions in provinces outside the capital of the country, including Colon, western Panama, and other regions.