Panama City, Thursday, February 20, 2025. A new independent report revealed that developing a multipurpose port in Puerto Armuelles would have significant economic and environmental advantages, compared to the current proposed location for the Puerto Barú project in David.

The report, which was prepared by the international company Lynker, a leading consulting firm in environmental sciences and engineering, has concluded that the development of a port in Puerto Armuelles has the potential to bring substantial economic benefits to all of Chiriqui. This is because the area has natural deep waters, with excellent access to the Pan-American Highway and greater potential for unrestricted growth, without major impacts to sensitive natural habitats or marine life.

The deepwater access offered by Puerto Armuelles would significantly reduce and even eliminate the need for costly dredging, necessary for the development of the Puerto Barú project in David.

As evidenced by the successful operation of the nearby Puerto Charco Azul since the 1970s, Puerto Armuelles is naturally protected by the Burica Peninsula to the west, which likely minimizes the need for breakwater structures and makes it an ideal location for a regional port. Compared to Puerto Barú-David, Puerto Armuelles also has a lower tidal amplitude, which would improve port operations.

In terms of development and future growth, Puerto Armuelles has the capacity for further port expansion, including the possibility of accommodating more and larger vessels compared to the capacity of Puerto Barú in David.

An initial study also showed that the Puerto Armuelles area has multiple location options with suitable location characteristics for the development of the 125-hectare multipurpose port.

Even after the proposed dredging of the Puerto Barú navigation channel in David, it will remain inaccessible to larger cargo ships, due to the narrow estuary channel and the legal protection status of mangroves in Panama. The expansion of the canal, beyond the currently proposed specifications, would further encroach on David’s mangroves. In addition, the frequency of maritime traffic to Puerto Barú in David would have to be limited to less than three ships per day, due to the lack of space to accommodate many vessels and tidal limitations.

In the case of Puerto Armuelles, it has no such limitations. For example, Puerto Charco Azul, just 10 kilometers south of Puerto Armuelles, has the capacity to accommodate ships of about 350 meters in length, much larger than the 192-meter vessels proposed for Puerto Barú.

The necessary dredging of the Puerto Baru shipping channel in David is likely to lead to higher construction costs and increased environmental risks, including sediment dispersion and possible death of mangroves near David.

If the port were built in Puerto Armuelles instead of David, the great risk to sensitive ecological habitats and protected areas would be minimal.

Avoiding the environmental impacts, associated with dredging and operations in protected mangroves, would align with both the developer’s sustainable development goals and Panama’s.

For the biologist and director of Adopta Bosque, Guido Berguido, the main reason why David was chosen for the development of the Puerto Barú project was due to the private interests of the promoters, not because it is the best for the country or for our people.

«We’ve said from the beginning that we can achieve everything we want: protect our environment and grow our economy,» Berguido said.

«Puerto Armuelles not only offers better economic opportunities compared to the location in David, but also ensures that our environment is not unnecessarily destroyed, and that it is preserved for the enjoyment of future generations,» added the director of one of the organizations opposing the Puerto Barú project in David.

Meanwhile, the legal manager of the Center for Environmental Advocacy (CIAM), Joana Abrego, explained that the conclusions of the report show that Puerto Armuelles is a better location for the port in all aspects and that the lack of consideration of this and other alternative locations for the port is a violation of international environmental law.

«The government cannot continue to ignore that there are real alternatives and that, as the president said in September, Puerto Barú in David demands too much from the environment. The authorities must now examine this new information and support our calls to relocate the port. It is not only the right thing to do for the environment and the economy, but for the future of our country,» Abrego said.

For his part, Dr. Julio Zyserman, from Lynker, was clear in mentioning that the analysis of the study shows that the oceanographic and bathymetric conditions around Puerto Armuelles are not only favorable for port operations, but that the site also has a greater potential to increase investments in the future by hosting more and larger vessels.

«Previous assumptions that the site would not be able to handle heavy cargo are unfounded; this report demonstrates that the sustainable development of a multipurpose regional port is possible, which will support the economy while avoiding the most disastrous environmental impacts,» Zyserman emphasized. –THE END–

Reader Information

The controversial Puerto Barú project is a multi-use private port development in one of the largest and healthiest mangroves in Central America, 20 kilometers from the city of David, on Panama’s Pacific coast. This area is home to 25% of all mangroves in Panama.

In September 2024, a group of organizations made up of conservation professionals, scientists, lawyers, and biologists, filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court of Justice to declare null and void the Resolution that approved the developer’s Environmental Impact Study.

The group is not against development and wants a port to be built in the province of Chiriqui. For this reason, the group is now asking that other alternatives, such as Puerto Armuelles, be adequately considered to protect the environment and allow greater economic growth.

About Lynker

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Lynker provides innovative science-based solutions in support of global environmental security and economic prosperity as a trusted partner to governments, communities, and industry.

It is a leading science, engineering and technology company that supports some of the world’s most important missions. His areas of expertise include consulting services in scientific and technical engineering, environmental modeling, water resources, geospatial solutions, and program and portfolio management.

Lynker is also noted for his leadership in community engagement, spearheading initiatives to address climate change, advocate for responsible resource development, and improve resilience to hazards such as floods, droughts, and wildfires. His modeling experience spans surface, groundwater, and coastal systems at scales ranging from local to national, with contributions to Colorado’s municipal water systems, the U.S. National Water Model in partnership with NOAA, and long-term collaborations with clients in Central and South America.

A significant part of Lynker’s work focuses on producing hydrological and environmental assessments that not only meet technical rigor, but also provide practical, actionable solutions.

About Puerto Barú

A developer is committed to building a multi-purpose port 20 kilometers from the center of the city of David, in the province of Chiriqui, Panama.

This project will operate in the western region, near an area that is home to a quarter of Panama’s mangroves. The project crosses the Mangroves of David, which were declared a protected area by the Municipal Council of the District of David through Agreement No. 21 of June 6, 2007.

As part of the Puerto Barú project, the developers plan to build a main port area, a tank area for liquid products such as palm oil, gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, jet fuel, a tourist and maritime area and a residential development.

The protected environmental area may be threatened by the construction and operation of the port.

Although the port will be located on private land, it is the activity from the open sea to the port that threatens to cause lasting damage to the delicate ecosystem. In order for ships to enter and leave the port, a navigation channel will have to be built. The channel will run from the North Pacific Ocean, following Boca Brava, through the Island of the Dead to the Chiriqui Nuevo River.