{"id":1663,"date":"2026-06-26T12:14:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T11:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/noapuertobaru.com\/?p=1663"},"modified":"2026-07-09T10:04:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T09:04:41","slug":"mangroves-david-port-baru-blue-carbon-panama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/noapuertobaru.com\/en\/articles-2\/mangroves-david-port-baru-blue-carbon-panama\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting David's Mangroves is also protecting who we are."},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00abThe mangrove forest holds many stories.\u00bb This phrase is almost like a whisper as a boat slowly enters the channels of the David Mangroves in Chiriqu\u00ed. The name Ricardo Brenes rings loud when you want to know the mangroves. For over 20 years, he has guided visitors through the waters of the David Mangroves, Chiriqu\u00ed, sharing not just a place, but a story worth protecting.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>The <\/span>David Mangroves, in Chiriqu\u00ed, Panama<\/b>, are considered to be one of the world\u2019s most intact mangrove systems. Whilst more than 80% of the world\u2019s forests have already been degraded, this ecosystem has lost less than 2% of its cover over the last two decades. Today, its importance for the <\/span>biodiversity of Panama<\/b>, the storage for <\/span>Blue carbon<\/b> and coastal protection is once again at the centre of the debate due to the project <\/span>Puerto Baru<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

A place where it is still possible to hear the silence<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u00abIf I could say something to someone who has never set foot in a mangrove...\u00bb The invitation hangs for a few seconds. Then the answer comes: \u00abThere's no noise, there's nothing. You can enter the mangrove labyrinths and remain in complete silence, appreciating nature, something very difficult to find elsewhere.\u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n

In an increasingly fast-paced world, the Mangroves of David preserve something that is becoming scarce: the opportunity to stop and contemplate, a silence that brings with it a deeper story.<\/span><\/p>\n

The David Mangroves, one of Panama's best-conserved ecosystems<\/b><\/h2>\n

Whilst more than 80% of the world\u2019s forests have already been degraded, the David Mangroves represent an extraordinary exception. According to the report<\/span> Climatic and Ecological Value of the threatened mangroves of Chiriqui Province, Panama <\/b><\/a>, this ecosystem is considered one of the most intact mangrove systems in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, it has been legally protected since 2007 and has lost less than 2% of its coverage over the last 20 years. This shows that whilst much of the world\u2019s coastal ecosystems are disappearing or becoming fragmented, this mangrove forest has managed to remain surprisingly intact.<\/span><\/p>\n

What we see above is only part of the story<\/b><\/h2>\n

At first glance, mangroves look like a forest, but something far more extraordinary is happening beneath their roots. \u00abIf the mangroves disappear, we're going to have very serious problems.\u00bb Ricardo's warning is direct and does not solely refer to biodiversity; his statement is more related to climate, the future, and the survival of species, including our own.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blue Carbon Panama: the climate vault hidden beneath the mangroves of David<\/b><\/h2>\n

Thousands of years of climate history are trapped beneath the ground; according to the \u00abRestore the Mangroves\u00bb report, David\u2019s mangroves store around 24% of Panama\u2019s total blue carbon. \u201cWhat we have beneath the mangroves is a geological record of Earth\u2019s history stored in carbon,\u201d says Brenes.<\/span><\/p>\n

They function as a gigantic natural vault that helps keep millions of tonnes of global warming contributing gases out of the atmosphere. But there is an important difference between a closed and an open vault; if this ecosystem disappears or its soils are significantly altered, more than 53 million tonnes of CO\u2082 could be released.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than three times Panama's full annual emissions, what helped stabilise the climate for centuries could be transformed into a new source of emissions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Puerto Bar\u00fa and a question about the future<\/b><\/h2>\n

While the scientific community continues to recognise the exceptional value of this ecosystem, the Puerto Bar\u00fa project continues to generate concern over its potential impacts on the mangroves and the natural processes that sustain them.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>The mangrove forests of David are not only important for Chiriqu\u00ed, they also play a strategic role for Panama's marine biodiversity, blue carbon capture, flood protection, and climate change resilience. Therefore, each new scientific assessment increases attention on the potential impacts of Puerto Bar\u00fa on one of the country's most important coastal ecosystems.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is just a story<\/b><\/h2>\n

Mangroves hold stories.<\/span><\/p>\n

Community stories.<\/span><\/p>\n

Biodiversity stories.<\/span><\/p>\n

Climate stories.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stories of the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why protect the <\/span>Mangroves of David<\/b>, the <\/span>biodiversity of Panama<\/b> and coastal ecosystems <\/span>Chiriqu\u00ed<\/b> it is not solely a local responsibility, it is a decision that could influence the climate, ecological and economic future of Panama.<\/span><\/p>\n