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Restoring and Protecting the Panama Canal Watershed

The Panama Canal is vital to the world’s economy. A significant global transportation hub, the canal represents an important economic maritime route for approximately 14,000 ships each year.

The Panama Canal Watershed contains significant biodiversity, and the river provides drinking water and electricity for the cities of Panama and Colon, where 55 percent of Panamanians live. However, certain areas of the watershed are facing unplanned urbanization, deforestation, and pollution due to domestic and industrial waste and the encroachment of the agricultural frontier.

Tetra Tech is working with its joint venture partner IRG to provide technical services to restore and protect the biodiversity in the Panama Canal Watershed.

The USAID-funded Panama Canal Watershed Biodiversity Conservation Project works with public and private sector partners to:

• Improve the management and conservation of critical areas
• Implement Best Management Practices
• Engage local stakeholders through the creation of watershed steering committees

Additionally, Tetra Tech is developing the first centralized web-based platform for USAID and Panamanian partners to share information about the watershed. The platform will also provide online training modules covering watershed concepts and practices.