«The mangrove holds many stories.» This phrase is almost a whisper as a boat slowly makes its way through the channels of the David Mangroves in Chiriquí. The name of Ricardo Brenes resonates strongly when you want to explore the mangroves. For over 20 years, he has guided visitors through the waters of the David Mangroves in Chiriquí, sharing not just a place, but a story worth preserving.
Those who live near this ecosystem know that mangroves are much more than trees growing between water and land. They are shelter, memory, food, silence, and also one of the most extraordinary ecosystems on the planet.
The David Mangroves, in Chiriquí, Panama, are considered one of the most intact mangrove systems in the world. While more than 80% of the world’s forests have already been degraded, this ecosystem has lost less than 2% of its cover in the last two decades. Today, its importance to the biodiversity of Panama, the storage of blue carbon, and coastal protection is once again at the center of the debate due to the project Puerto Barú.
«If I could say something to someone who’s never set foot in a mangrove…» The invitation hangs suspended for a few seconds. Then comes the reply: «There’s no noise, nothing. You can enter the mangrove labyrinths and remain in complete silence, appreciating nature, something very difficult to find elsewhere.»
In an increasingly fast-paced world, David’s Mangroves preserve something that is becoming scarce: the possibility of stopping and contemplating; that silence brings with it a deeper history.
While more than 80% of the planet’s forests have already been degraded, the David Mangroves represent an extraordinary exception. According to the report Climatic and Ecological Value of Threatened Mangroves in the Province of Chiriquí, Panama, this ecosystem is considered one of the most intact mangrove systems in the world.
Furthermore, it has been legally protected since 2007 and has lost less than 2% of its cover in the last 20 years. This reflects that while much of the planet’s coastal ecosystems are disappearing or becoming fragmented, this mangrove forest has managed to remain remarkably intact.
At first glance, mangroves look like a forest, but beneath their roots something far more extraordinary is happening. «If the mangroves disappear, we’re going to have very serious problems.» Ricardo’s warning is direct and doesn’t refer solely to biodiversity; his statement is more related to the climate, the future, and the survival of species and ourselves.
Thousands of years of climate history are trapped underground, according to the Restor report. The David Mangroves store approximately 24% of all of Panama’s blue carbon. «What we have under the mangroves is a geological record of Earth’s history stored in carbon,» says Brenes.
They function like a giant natural vault, helping to keep millions of tons of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. But there’s a crucial difference between a closed and an open vault: if this ecosystem disappears or its soils are significantly altered, more than 53 million tons of CO₂ could be released.
More than three times Panama’s total annual emissions, what for centuries helped stabilize the climate could be transformed into a new source of emissions.
While the scientific community continues to recognize the exceptional value of this ecosystem, the Puerto Barú project continues to generate concern about its potential impacts on the mangroves and the natural processes that sustain them.
The David Mangroves are not only important for Chiriquí, but also play a strategic role in Panama’s marine biodiversity, blue carbon sequestration, flood protection, and resilience to climate change. Therefore, each new scientific assessment increases attention to the potential impacts of Puerto Barú on one of the country’s most important coastal ecosystems.
Mangroves hold stories.
Stories of communities.
Biodiversity stories.
Weather stories.
Stories from the future.
Because protecting David’s Mangroves, the biodiversity of Panama, and the coastal ecosystems of Chiriquí, it is not only a local responsibility, it is a decision that can influence the climatic, ecological and economic future of Panama.
#DefendTheMangroves
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