DOCSLIB.ORG

Panama Evs Report Eng.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Panama Evs Report Eng.Pdf Published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2014 Copyright © UNEP 2014 Reproduction This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit services without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, DCPI, UNEP, P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi 00100, Kenya. The use of information from this document for publicity or advertising is not permitted. Disclaimers Mention of a commercial company or product in this document does not imply endorsement by UNEP. Trademark names and symbols are used in an editorial fashion with no intention on infringement on trademark or copyright laws. The designations employed and the presentation of mate- rial in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatso- ever on the part of UNEP concerning the legal status of any country, terri- tory or city or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. We regret any errors or omissions that may have been unwittingly made. Authors: Estelle Midler (BC3), Unai Pascual (BC3) and Silvio Simonit (IUCN) Project Coordinator: Estelle Midler Design and Layout: Printing: Acknowledgement The authors wish to acknowledge the important contributions made by the National Authority for the Environment (ANAM) of Panama, in par- ticular Eric Rodriguez. They further wish to acknowledge the important roles played by UNEP ROLAC staff Gabriel Labbate, Ricardo Montenegro and Emilio Mariscal in data collection and project management. Additional thank goes to Alexis Baules (UN-REDD), Eustorgio Jaen (ANAM), Carlos Gómez (ANAM), Nelys Bosquez (UN-REDD), Irina Madrid (UN- REDD), Ximena San Cristobal (UNEP), Jorge Justavino (ANAM), Iñaki Arto (BC3), Ulf Narloch (The World Bank), Mary Thompson (BC3), Marta Pascual (BC3) and Elena Perez-Miñana (BC3) for their technical and logistical help UNEP promotes throughout the project. environmentally sound practices Finally, the authors thank the reviewers: Rob Tinch (Economics for the globally and in its own activities. This Environment Consultancy, Belgium), Mette Termansen (Aarhus Universi- report is printed on paper from sustainable ty, Denmark), Anil Markandya (Basque Center for Climate Change, Spain), forests. The paper is chlorine free and the inks Eric Mungatana (University of Pretoria) and Ralph Blaney (United Nations Environmental Program World Conservation Monitoring Center). vegetable-based. Our distribution policy aims to reduce UNEP’s carbon footprint. Table of contents Foreword 05 Executive summary 06 o1. Introduction 08 o2. The state of the Panamanian economy 09 o3. The state of the Panamanian forests 10 o4. The contribution of the forestry sector to the Panamanian economy 13 o5. The value of Panamanian forests 18 o6. The potential benefits of REDD+ in transition to a green economy in Panama 31 o7. Conclusions and Policy recommendations 34 References 35 Appendix 37 Foreword As the world works towards defining the This report sheds light on how to develop post-2015 sustainable development agen- public policies that also take into account da and associated Sustainable Develop- the value of the forests and the benefits ment Goals, it is becoming increasingly they provide as driving forces for a Green clear that integrating conservation of the Economy. This approach can lead to tangi- environment into all decision making and ble and sustainable growth, generating a economic planning is essential for long- higher equity by benefiting the most mar- term growth and human wellbeing. Al- ginalized communities in the country. It ready, the natural resources that prop up also provides foundations to stimulate oth- so many economies are under stress, and er important sectors of the economy. climate change will only exacerbate the challenge, particularly in developing coun- This joint effort of the Ecosystem Services tries. Integrating efforts in pursuit of more Economics Unit of the United Nations Envi- sustainable development—demonstrating ronment Programme, BC3 and the ANAM, higher equity, trans¬parency, and respect within the framework of the UN REDD Pan- for cultural values and biodiversity—is a ama joint national pro¬gram, can serve as key task for the global community. catalyst enabling the mobili¬zation of ad- ditional efforts: not just outlining the suc- A significant step towards this sustainable cesses so far, but demonstrating at a coun- future can be taken by integrating the Re- try level how REDD+ can contribute to the ducing Emissions from Deforestation and Green Economy. This report will gener¬ate Forest Degradation in Developing Coun- knowledge and robust tools for a better tries (REDD+) approach with the efforts to understanding of the functioning of valua- prompt a global Green Economy transition. ble natural ecosystems, and thus promote A recent International Resource Panel re- efficient and sustainable management of port, Building Natural Capital: How REDD+ these resources for the benefit of all. Can Support a Green Economy, outlines how an investment of $US30 billion per year in REDD+ can ensure green and sus- tainable growth, as well as mitigate climate change through forest conservation. Ing. Silvano Vergara Many nations are already demonstrat- Minister of the Environment - Panama ing how the sustainable management of forests, achieved through an integrated approach that considers a wide range of ecosystem services, can contrib¬ute to improved conditions and better health in communities dependent on forests—while generating huge benefits to the rest of so- ciety and ensuring the provision of goods and services in the long term. Panama, Achim Steiner working through the National Authority Executive Director - UNEP of the Environment (ANAM) and with the support of the United Nations and other in¬ternational agencies and local organiza- tions, is one such nation. 5 FOREST ECOSYSTEMS IN NATIONAL ECONOMIES AND CONTRIBUTION OF REDD+ IN A GREEN ECONOMY TRANSFORMATION: THE CASE OF PANAMA Executive summary Panama is a country of 3.6 million people which has a sta- ble economy, mostly based on the services sector which comprises around 77% of its gross domestic product (GDP). Economic growth is at an average of 8.8% (between 2005 and 2012) in part due to its geographical position which has allowed the country to develop its service sector around transportation and trade associated with the Canal and the Free Trade Zone in Colón. There are 3,525 million hectares of forest land covering around 47% of Panama, including some of the most biodi- verse terrestrial habitats in the world. This natural wealth has been threatened by deforestation in Panama over the last 50 years. From 1992-2008, the forest area declined by 586,000 hectares (roughly 14%), an area bigger than the Coclé prov- ince. Forest clearing and associated forest degradation has been driven by a variety of factors in different regions, such as growing demand for timber products, land use change to- wards more financially lucrative agricultural cash crops and cattle ranching, and the development of roads and infrastruc- ture. As a result, deforestation rates differ between regions, some being more strongly affected than others. The natural capital of forests contributes to the economy of Panama in several important ways. First, Panamanian forests provide inputs to the economy, including to the ag- ricultural sector, the textile sector, the wood and paper sec- tor, the chemical industry, and the manufacturing and con- struction sectors, among others. These, together with the forest sector, support up to 0.44% of the GDP of Panama. 6 Furthermore, forests also directly and indirectly support this period would have provided net economic returns to other portions of the economy, such as the business sector. Panama. This report estimates that deforestation in Pana- The forest sector is ranked as the most important sector in ma between 1992 and 2012 led to an average net econom- terms of forward linkages. It is estimated that an increase ic loss of about 272 US$ million in the year 2012 only. The in the production of this sector (for instance through an in- total economic losses on this whole period of deforestation crease of one dollar in capital investment) would increase (1992-2012) amounts to 3,700 US$ million. the production generated in the rest of the economic sec- tors in Panama by 3.45 dollars. The total annual value added These estimates call for the attention of the Panamanian generated by the forestry sector in downstream economic society. In order to reduce deforestation rates in Panama, sectors in Panama over the period 2002-2011 reached 80,6 a policy intervention is needed. Such an intervention would million US$, most notably in the financial, trade and trans- require additional investments from both the private and port sectors. the public sectors. In particular, investment by the public sector is necessary to provide forest ecosystem services Panamanian Forests provide significant benefits associated directly (for example, through creation of protected areas) with human well-being both locally and globally, although and to prevent unsustainable forest management (such as some of these impacts are not reflected in standard macroe- controlling illegal logging and compliance with logging per- conomic indicators such as GDP. This is because a substantial mits). Removing existing incentives for deforestation, such share of the value of forests is not reflected in markets. These as indirect subventions to cattle breeding, is also seen as an values are known as ecosystem services and include impor- essential policy intervention to curb forest land conversion. tant benefits to society such as water regulation and carbon storage, referred to as regulating ecosystem services.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Infrastructure Investments and Private Investment Catalyzation: the Case of the Panama Canal Expansion
    Development through TN the Private Sector Series No. 9 Infrastructure Investments and Private Investment Catalyzation: The Case of the Panama Canal Expansion Authors: Maria Laura Lanzalot Alessandro Maoli Rodolfo Stucchi Patricia Yañez-Pagans November 2018 Infrastructure Investments and Private Investment Catalyzation: The Case of the Panama Canal Expansion Copyright © 2018 Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons IGO 3.0 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC-IGO BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/legal- code) and may be reproduced with attribution to the IIC and for any non-commercial pur- pose. No derivative work is allowed. Any dispute related to the use of the works of the IIC that cannot be settled amicably shall be submitted to arbitration pursuant to the UNCITRAL rules. The use of the IIC’s name for any purpose other than for attribution, and the use of IIC’s logo shall be subject to a sepa- rate written license agreement between the IIC and the user and is not authorized as part of this CC-IGO license. Following a peer review process, and with previous written consent by the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), a revised version of this work may also be reproduced in any academic journal, including those indexed by the American Economic Association's Econ- Lit, provided that the IIC is credited and that the author(s) receive no income from the pub- lication. Therefore, the restriction to receive income from such publication shall only extend to the publication's author(s).
    [Show full text]
  • Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua: Explaining Economic Success Levels
    University of Central Florida STARS HIM 1990-2015 2013 Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua: explaining economic success levels Kevin Negy University of Central Florida Part of the Political Science Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses1990-2015 University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in HIM 1990-2015 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Recommended Citation Negy, Kevin, "Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua: explaining economic success levels" (2013). HIM 1990-2015. 1442. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses1990-2015/1442 COSTA RICA, PANAMA, AND NICARAGUA: EXPLAINING ECONOMIC SUCCESS LEVELS by KEVIN NEGY A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Honors in the Major Program in International and Global Studies in the College of Sciences and in The Burnett Honors College at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2013 Thesis Chair: Dr. Houman Sadri © 2013 Kevin Negy ii Abstract Latin America is a region that has deep roots in Spanish colonialism. Since its independence, many countries in the region have heavily depended on agriculture exports to industrialized states to support their economies. This has led to political theorists to label Latin America as an area full of “periphery” countries that are exploited for resources by “core countries. Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua were not the exception. In recent years, however, a noticeable difference between the economies of the countries has helped Costa Rica and Panama become more successful than Nicaragua, on the basis of GDP, GNI, and other similar measures.
    [Show full text]
  • World Bank Document
    UNN-26 Public Disclosure Authorized SOME ASPECTS OF THE ECONOMY OF PANAMA Prepared by Romeo Dalla Chiesa Public Disclosure Authorized for the GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA Public Disclosure Authorized INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT Washington, D. C. Public Disclosure Authorized May 1957 SOME ASPECTS OF THE ECONOMY CF PANA 1/ Table of Contents Page Economic History 1 International Trade and Payments 2 The Size, Age, and Skill of the Population 4 Capital and Capital Formation 8 National Income and Output 10 Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 12 Industry and Commerce 14 1 This study was prepared in December 1956. The Economic History of Panama 1. The history of Panama has been influenced by trade across the Isthmus from the discovery of the Pacific by Balboa in 1513 to the present day. The first commercial route was the gold road from Panama City to Portobello which carried the wealth of the colonies to the Atlantic seaboard for shipment to Spain. Panama was a center of American trade for almost two centuries and came to ba amongst the wealthiest of the Snanish colonies. This prosperity was generated almost exclusively by commerce. There was some development of light manufacturing, which was, however, frustrated by Spanish taxes. Apart from this, productive acti-vity in Panama was confined to subsistence farming by indians and escaped slaves. Panamals importance as a trading center declined Twith the decline of Spain, and came to an abrupt end when Henry Morgan destroyed Panama City. 2. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the California gold fever spread through the South Sea.
    [Show full text]
  • 11772076 01.Pdf
    Note: The following exchange rate are used in this report. 1.00 Balboa = US Dollar 1.00 = Japanese Yen 108 December 2003 Final Report The Study on the Comprehensive Ports Development Plan in The Republic of Panama August 2004 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Volume 3) Supporting Report Page APPENDIX A Financial Conditions of Government and AMP ......................................... A -1 A.1 Financial Condition of the Public Sector ........................................................................... A - 1 A.2 The Financial Condition of the AMP................................................................................. A - 3 APPENDIX B Administration and Management of AMP.................................................. B - 1 B.1 Administration and Management of Port ........................................................................... B - 1 B.1.1 Institutions of Central Government...................................................................... B - 1 B.1.2 Port-related Institutions ........................................................................................ B - 1 B.1.3 Maritime Authority of Panama (AMP) ................................................................ B - 5 B.2 Port Management and Operation........................................................................................ B -17 B.2.1 Classification of Port in Panama .......................................................................... B -17 B.2.2 Role of AMP’s Office .........................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • A Macroeconometric Model for the Panamanian Economy 1950-1972 Jarilaos Stavrou Iowa State University
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1978 A macroeconometric model for the Panamanian economy 1950-1972 Jarilaos Stavrou Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Economics Commons Recommended Citation Stavrou, Jarilaos, "A macroeconometric model for the Panamanian economy 1950-1972" (1978). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 6420. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/6420 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This was produced from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting through an image and duplicating adjacent pages to assure you of complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a round black mark it is an indication that the film inspector noticed either blurred copy because of movement during exposure, or duplicate copy.
    [Show full text]
  • Panamanian Senior Team
    In this Edition Consejo José Javier Rivera Belinda Romero Pedraz Editorial Giovana del C. Miranda Garzola Rafael Fernández Lara Rubén Lachman (Q.E.P.D.) Lidia Domínguez Adriana Calderón Harrison Ford (Video) Ana Sofía Corrales Ayeisha Williams José Javier Rivera J. Giovana del C. Miranda G. Design & Layout: Gabriela Melgar Rivera Bolívar y Castañedas @rbcabogados @rbcweb Editorial MAY 2021 5 POLITICAL AGITATION IN LATIN AMERICA: LESSONS TO LEARN Content 27. Politics LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN MUST INVEST THE NATIONAL UNITY, PRIORITY OF ALL PANAMANIANS IN TALENT TO PROMOTE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION63 LONG WORKING HOURS CAN INCREASE DEATHS FROM HEART DISEASES AND CEREBROVASCULAR ACCIDENTS, 31. Panamanian Economy ACCORDING TO ILO AND WHO66 COMMENTS ON THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI): APRIL 2021 68. Environmental Capsule PANAMA. CRISIS AND OPPORTUNITY 34 71. Sports Capsule THE MINING INDUSTRY IN PANAMA. A SOURCE OF INCOME THAT RAISES COMMITMENTS, CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS 55 76.The Current PANAMA: FINAL DECLARATION OF THE VIRTUAL CONSULTATION MISSION OF ARTICLE IV OF 2021 57 61. World Economy DISTRIBUTE TRADE PROFITS WIDERLY Invited Writer 9 GEOECONOMIC RISKS IN COVID ERA AND Norms ABILITY TO ANTICIPATE CRISIS of Interest USE OF A SINGLE VEHICULAR PLATE FOR FIVE YEARS 16 Content SOCIAL SECURITY FUND GRANTES AMNESTY SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR DIGITAL 17 TRANSFORMATION OF TAX ADMINISTRATION24 BENEFITS IN OBTAINING PASSPORTS 18 FOREST RESTORATION PROGRAM FRIENDLY COUNTRIES RESIDENT PERMIT WILL HAVE 23 TWO PHASES TO OBTAIN PERMANENT RESIDENCE 19 VISA FOR REMOTE WORKER (TELEWORK) 20 REGULATE THE LAW ON THE PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA RESIDENT PERMIT FOR FOREST INVESTOR MODIFIED 25 21 NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF FOOD CONTROL AND VETERINARY SURVEILLANCE22 Legislación y Economía May 2021 Editorial José Javier Rivera - Partner Political agitation in [email protected] Latin America: Lessons to learn n recent months Latin America has been its capacity to serve the poor.
    [Show full text]
  • The Economic Impact of Broadband in Panama
    MDG # broadband series millennium development goals 1 poverty & hunger REGULATORY & MARKET ENVIRONMENT International Telecommunication Union Place des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 20 The economic impact of Switzerland www.itu.int broadband in PANAMA BROADBAND SERIES Printed in Switzerland Geneva, 2012 05/2012 The economic impact of broadband in Panama May 2012 This report has been prepared for ITU by Dr. Raul L. Katz, the Director of Business Strategy Research at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information and Adjunct Professor in the Finance and Economics Division at Columbia Business School; and Dr. Pantelis Koutroumpis, a Fellow at the Columbia Institute for Tele- Information. The following study was funded by the ITU and the Broadband Commission for Digital Development. This report is part of a new series of ITU reports on broadband that are available online and free of charge at the Broadband Commission website: http://www.broadbandcommission.org/ and ITU Universe of Broadband portal: www.itu.int/broadband. Please consider the environment before printing this report. ITU 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means whatsoever, without the prior written permission of ITU Economic impact of broadband in Panama Table of Contents Page Preface ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Foreword ....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Culture of Democracy in Panama, 2004 Public Perceptions About the Political System
    The Political Culture of Democracy in Panama, 2004 Public Perceptions About the Political System Orlando J. Pérez, Central Michigan University Marco A. Gandásegui, hijo, CELA Mitchell A. Seligson Scientific Coordinator and Editor of the Series Vanderbilt University This publication was made possible through support provided by the USAID Missions in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Support was also provided by the Office of Regional Sustainable Development, Democracy and Human Rights Division, Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the Office of Democracy and Governance, Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development, under the terms of Task Order Contract No. AEP-I-12-99-00041-00. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... i List of Tables and Figures........................................................................................................... iii List of Tables...........................................................................................................................................iii List of Figures..........................................................................................................................................iii
    [Show full text]
  • Doing Business: a Guide for Panama
    Doing Business A guide for Panama January 2017 www.pwc.com/interamericas Doing Business A guide for Panama January 2016 Table of contents The PwC Network 5 Preface 6 Forework 7 Panama 9 Our staff’s knowledge and expertise 50 Contacts 51 4 PwC The PwC Network Building trust in society and solving important 743 Locations problems 157 Countries More than 223,000 Professional PwC Interaméricas At PwC our purpose is to build trust in the Society and solve important problems. PwC is a Network of firms in 157 countries with more than 223,000 people committed to providing quality through our audit, tax y consulting services. In the Central american region, PwC Interamericas Is made up of: PwC Costa Rica, PwC Panamá, PwC El Salvador, PwC Guatemala, PwC Honduras, PwC Nicaragua and PwC República Dominicana. The information conteined in this Business Guide has been updated to December 2016. Doing Business - 2017 5 Preface Ángel Dapena Lambridge Territory Senior Partner espite the slowdown registered in the region during 2016, the economy in Central America and Dominican Republic continues to benefit from the US economic Drecovery, given the strong links through exports and remittances. This positive effect is likely to counterbalance the tightening of financial conditions that will result from the normalization of monetary policy in the US. However, the region is expecting a change of government in the US, since an immigration repression would threaten remittance flows in the region, which would impact this important source of growth. Doing Business in Central America and Dominican Republic 2017 is designed to introduce the investment’s fundament in this territory.
    [Show full text]
  • Panama ULE(Pv Specialeconomic Report
    ReportNo. 3833-PAN Panama ULE(pv SpecialEconomic Report Public Disclosure Authorized MetropolitanUnemployment June7, 1982 Latin America and the CaribbeanRegional Office FOR OFFICIALUSE ONLY Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Document of the World Bank This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosedwithout World Bank authorization. Currency Equivalents US$1.00 = 1.00 Balboa (B/.) Panama uses the U.S. Dollar as currency and has no Central Bank. The emission of Balboas is restrictedto coins. Glossary of Abbreviations CAT - Certificadode Abono Tributario (Tax' ertificate) CFZ - Colon Free Zone A0"f0 (Zona Libre de Colon) COkINA - CorporacionFinanciera Nacional (Finance Corporation) ILO - InternationalLabor Organization IMF - InternationalMonetary Fund Fiscal Year January 1 to December 31 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY SYNOPSIS The Panamanian economy has recovered from the recession of the mid-1970s, mainly as a result of renewed private sector confidence. The public sector deficit has been reduced and the growth of the public external debt in relation to GDP has been reversed. However, recent changes in the internationalenvironment could slow the growth of the dynamic sectors and of the economy as a whole. Meanwhile, Panama is facing a problem of high unemploymentin the MetropolitanArea and this could become worse if output growth and job generationare not increased. The report identifiesthe main changes in policy needed to reduce the constraintsof a small domestic market and the anti-employmentbias inherent in the present system of incentives and labor regulation. These changes, coupled with an appropriatepublic investmentprogram, could enhance growth and employmentprospects in the 1980s.
    [Show full text]
  • Running Head: the STRATEGIC and GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS of CANALS
    Running head: THE STRATEGIC AND GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF CANALS The Strategic and Geopolitical Implications of Canals Robert Parra Sanchez California Maritime Academy THE STRATEGIC AND GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF CANALS 1 Abstract This thesis examines the geopolitical implications of large international shipping canals in the summation to the conclusion that canals are constructed out of a nation’s strategic necessity and are then considered by nations as strategic assets due to their altering of maritime dynamics through the physical change to geography. This thesis employs four regional case studies to highlight the geopolitical effects that canal construction brings as well as how their implementation and usage is intertwined with the economic and strategic goals of various states. Specifically, this thesis uses historical and contemporary contexts to showcase the Suez Canal in Egypt and the Panama Canal in Panama, as well as the proposed Nicaragua Canal in Nicaragua, the Kra Canal in Thailand, and the Salwa Canal in Saudi Arabia. This thesis will relate its explanations of state behavior to the concepts of geography, seapower, and strategy, in order to meet their established economic and martial goals via interaction with canals. THE STRATEGIC AND GEOPOLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF CANALS 2 Introduction Man-made international shipping canals are not just simply artificial waterways that vessels use to easily traverse regions but are strategically constructed agents of world powers and contested assets that bring geopolitical attention to a region. The mechanisms of globalization that generate the construction of new canals are phenomena that stem from shifting interests of trade, logistics, security, and regional dynamics over time.
    [Show full text]
  • Historical, Demographic, and Economic Correlates of Land-Use Change in the Republic of Panama
    Copyright © 2008 by the author(s). Published here under license by the Resilience Alliance. Wright, S. J., and M. J. Samaniego. 2008. Historical, demographic, and economic correlates of land-use change in the Republic of Panama. Ecology and Society 13(2): 17. [online] URL: http://www.ecologyandso ciety.org/vol13/iss2/art17/ Research, part of a Special Feature on The influence of human demography and agriculture on natural systems in the Neotropics Historical, Demographic, and Economic Correlates of Land-Use Change in the Republic of Panama Stuart Joseph Wright 1 and Mirna Julieta Samaniego 1 ABSTRACT. The Republic of Panama recently experienced a limited forest transition. After five decades of decline, the total forest cover increased by 0.36% yr–1 between 1992 and 2000; however, mature forest cover simultaneously decreased by 1.3% yr–1. This limited forest transition at the national scale comprised two distinctly different patterns of recent forest-cover change related to historical land use. Districts that were largely deforested when the first national survey of forest cover was completed in 1947 experienced a strong forest transition between 1992 and 2000. In these, the proportion of the population employed in agriculture decreased by an average of 31% and natural secondary forest succession increased the total forest cover by an average of 85% between 1992 and 2000. In contrast, no forest transition was evident for districts that were largely forested in 1947. In these, the absolute number of people employed in agriculture remained constant, old-growth forest cover decreased by 8% on average, and natural secondary forest succession increased, so that the total forest cover tended to be static between 1992 and 2000.
    [Show full text]