Panama park risks de-listing as heritage site

ANOTHER  Panama treasure , designated as a World Heritage by the United Nations body Unesco,  is in  danger of losing the prestigious labeling.

The status of La Amistad International Park, located between Panama and Costa Rica, will be evaluated by a team from Unesco at a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. The deliberations began Sunday, July 10.

Among the issues being examined are the lack of an environmental management plan and the impact of livestock and agriculture.

These issues will be presented in a report by a mission from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a Unesco advisory body.

In this assessment, it suggested that the park be included on the list of threatened world heritage sites. This would be the second heritage site in Panama to be placed on the list, with the first being the forts at Portobelo and San Lorenzo.

The IUCN report stated that the management of the protected area “has not improved” and said there is a lack of funding to ensure its conservation.

A delegation from Panama led by officials from the Ministry of the Environment is attending  the meeting.