GARDI SUGDUB, Panama (AP) — On a tiny island off Panama’s Caribbean coast, about 300 families are packing their belongings in preparation for a dramatic change. Generations of Gunas who have grown up on Gardi Sugdub in a life dedicated to the sea and tourism will trade that next week for the mainland’s solid ground.

They go voluntarily — sort of.

The Gunas of Gardi Sugdub are the first of 63 communities along Panama’s Caribbean and Pacific coasts that government officials and scientists expect to be forced to relocate by rising sea levels in the coming decades.

A Guna Indigenous woman covers her head due to light rain on Gardi Sugdub Island, part of the San Blas archipelago off Panama's Caribbean coast, Saturday, May 25, 2024. Due to rising sea levels, about 300 Guna Indigenous families will relocate to new homes, built by the government, on the mainland. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) — A Guna Indigenous woman covers her head due to light rain on Gardi Sugdub Island, part of the San Blas archipelago off Panama’s Caribbean coast, Saturday, May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

On a recent day, the island’s Indigenous residents rowed or sputtered off with outboard motors to fish. Children, some in uniforms and others in the colorful local textiles called “molas,” chattered as they hustled through the warren of narrow dirt streets on their way to school.

“We’re a little sad, because we’re going to leave behind the homes we’ve known all our lives, the relationship with the sea, where we fish, where we bathe and where the tourists come, but the sea is sinking the island little by little,” said Nadín Morales, 24, who prepared to move with her mother, uncle and boyfriend.

FILE - Migrants heading north ride arrive to Lajas Blancas, Darien province, Panama, Oct. 6, 2023, after walking across the Darien Gap from Colombia. A U.N. report says child migration through Panama’s dangerous Darien Gap is up 40% so far in 2024. UNICEF, the U.N. child welfare agency said Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco, File)

Child migration through Panama’s dangerous Darien Gap is up 40%, UN report says

FILE - Migrants cross a river during their journey through the Darien Gap from Colombia into Panama, hoping to reach the U.S., Oct. 15, 2022. President-elect José Raúl Mulino said Thursday, May 9, 2024, he will shut down the migration route used by more than 500,000 people last year. Until now, Panama has helped speedily bus the migrants across its territory so they can continue their journey north. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara, File)

Panama’s next president says he’ll try to shut down one of the world’s busiest migration routes

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez Alvarado, left, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pose for a group photo at the National Palace in Guatemala City, Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Blinken is in Guatemala for a two-day visit where he will attend a regional meeting on irregular migration. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

Western Hemisphere nations pledge to continue coordinating response to historic regional migration

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Four die of leptospirosis, Brazil authorities warn of other diseases following floods

May 27, 2024

Four die of leptospirosis, Brazil authorities warn of other diseases following floods

Floods in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in May 2024 (Ricardo Stuckert / Presidency of Brazil courtesy)

São Paulo, Brazil – Four people have died from leptospirosis in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state, which has been hit with heavy rains and flooding since the beginning of May. The victims were all men, aged between 33 and 67, who lived in four different cities and had contact with contaminated rainwater.

Leptospirosis is one of the most worrisome diseases for state authorities, as there’s a large risk of people becoming infected due to contact with flood water. The disease is caused by leptospira bacteria, present in rat urine and commonly acquired through contact with contaminated water or soil.

Leptospirosis can cause a range of symptoms in humans, from mild flu-like signs to severe illness including kidney damage, liver failure, meningitis, respiratory distress, and, in some cases, death.

“The worsening of leptospirosis is an avoidable problem if, with symptoms such as fever, lower back pain and calf pain, people immediately seek health care,” said Health Minister Nísia Trindade. In addition to leptospirosis, there are other diseases that are worrying authorities and that could affect the population after flood waters recede.

According to the minister, respiratory diseases are a major concern at this point, especially because the state suffers from strong winds and low temperatures, in addition to rain. Therefore, Trindade also suggested that Rio Grande do Sul residents be vaccinated free of charge against influenza and Covid-19.

Marcelo Gomes, a health researcher, said that the drop in temperatures in Rio Grande do Sul creates a favorable situation for the spread of viruses that cause respiratory illness. Therefore, in addition to the influenza vaccine, he recommends that people wear protective masks, especially when they are inside hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

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Brazil authorities warn of more floods, landslides as new rains hit south

May 16, 2024

Brazil authorities warn of more floods, landslides as new rains hit south

Nearly 140 people have been killed so far

Katiane Mello (R) leaves her flooded home in a boat navigating a street in Eldorado do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Photo: AFP

New rains in waterlogged southern Brazil are expected to be heaviest between Sunday and Monday, authorities have warned, bringing fresh misery to victims of flooding that has killed 136 people so far.

State authorities warned late Saturday of the risk of further rising waters and landslides.

“We are still experiencing an emergency situation,” Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite said in a video on Instagram.

Heavy rains last week caused rivers in the agricultural state to overflow, leaving 806 injured and 125 missing in addition to those killed, the civil defence agency said.

“Many people see the rain and are traumatized. We’ve seen how scared people are,” said Enio Posti, a firefighter in Porto Alegre, capital of stricken Rio Grande do Sul state.

Soldiers from the Brazilian Air Force prepare donations to be sent to flood victims in Rio Grande do Sul at Brasilia Air Base, Brazil on May 10, 2024. Teams raced against the clock on May 9 to deliver aid to flood-stricken communities. Photo: AFP

Of the more than two million people affected by the flooding, more than 537,000 have been forced from their homes with 81,000 in shelters.

More than 92,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by the floods, according to the National Confederation of Municipalities.

UN experts and the Brazilian government blame climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon for the inundation.

US President Joe Biden said in a statement that he was “saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the flooding”, adding that Washington was “working to provide necessary assistance” in coordination with Brazilian authorities.

‘Desperate’ rescues under way as Brazil floods kill 90, displace thousands

May 14, 2024

‘Desperate’ rescues under way as Brazil floods kill 90, displace thousands

Thousands in Brazil’s southern Rio Grande do Sul state lack water and electricity as floodwaters inundate entire towns.

Rescuers are rushing to evacuate people stranded by floodwaters across the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, where at least 90 people have been killed and more than 130 others are missing.

The state capital of Porto Alegre has been virtually cut off by the flooding, with the airport and bus station closed and main roads blocked.

Reporting from the city on Tuesday afternoon, Al Jazeera’s Latin America editor Lucia Newman said the situation had become “very desperate” as volunteers and rescue crews try to evacuate residents.

INTERACTIVE_BRAZIL_FLOODS_MAY28_2024-1715150016 — (Al Jazeera)

“Everywhere you look, people have no water, no electricity. Sewage has, in this part of town which is downtown, completely come up.”

The state’s Civil Defence agency said the death toll has risen to 90 with another four deaths being investigated. Another 131 people are still unaccounted for, and 155,000 are homeless.

Heavy rains that began last week have caused rivers to flood, inundating whole towns and destroying roads and bridges.

In Porto Alegre, a city of 1.3 million residents on the Guaiba River, residents faced empty supermarket shelves and closed gas stations, with shops rationing sales of mineral water.

Five of Porto Alegre’s six water treatment facilities are not working, and Mayor Sebastiao Melo on Monday decreed that water be used exclusively for “essential consumption”.

“We are living an unprecedented natural disaster, and everyone needs to help,” Melo told reporters.

“I am getting water trucks to football fields, and people will have to go there to get their water in bottles. I cannot get them to go home to home.”

Almost half a million people were without power in Porto Alegre and outlying towns, as electricity companies cut off supplies for security reasons in flooded neighbourhoods.

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Satellite images reveal devastating flooding in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

May 12, 2024

Satellite images reveal devastating flooding in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil may 8 2024

Heavy rainfall across southern Brazil has caused severe flooding and landslides over the past 9 days, significantly affecting the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Parana, and Santa Catarina.

The most severe impact has been in Rio Grande do Sul, where rising casualties and widespread destruction continue to mount. As of May 9, at least 95 people have died, 372 have been injured, and 131 remain missing. Additionally, more than 208 000 people have been displaced, and at least 1.5 million people have been affected.

The extensive flooding has left over 1.4 million people without electricity and isolated 48 cities from telecommunications.

Widespread severe flooding was reported in Porto Alegre, the state capital. Roads have been rendered impassable across the city, cutting off the capital, and flights at the main airport have been suspended.

Widespread agricultural damage was also reported while analysts anticipate that damage to silos, storage facilities, transportation networks, and ports will hinder grain exports. Rio Grande do Sul is a key hub for the production and export of soy, rice, wheat, and meat.

Satellite imagery acquired on May 8 showed devastating flooding across Porto Alegre, including Salgado Filho International Airport completely flooded.

May 8, 2024

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil may 8 2024 overhead

April 3, 2024

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil april 3 2024 overhead

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

May 8, 2024

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil may 8 2024

April 3, 2024

porto alegre rio grande do sul brazil april 3 2024

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

May 8, 2024

salgado filho international airport porto alegre brazil may 8 2024

April 3, 2024

salgado filho international airport porto alegre brazil april 3 2024

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

May 8, 2024

eldorado do sul porto alegre brazil may 8 2024

April 3, 2024

eldorado do sul porto alegre brazil april 3 2024

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

May 8, 2024

sao leopoldo porto alegre brazil may 8 2024

April 3, 2024

sao leopoldo porto alegre brazil april 3 2024

Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers

Authorities are closely monitoring four dams: Blang, Dal Bo, Santa Lucia, and the 14 de Julho dam in Cotipora municipality, which has partially collapsed.

Floods and flooding ‘will be part of our lives,’ says Brazilian architect and urbanist

May 11, 2024

Civilians help with rescues in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, in the floods that hit the state. Photo by Alex Rocha/PMPA, used with permission

Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, is going through the worst climate disaster in its history. From April 28 onward, a major part of its territory, about the size of the United Kingdom, has been submerged underwater. The heavy rains soon transformed into violent floods, impacting over 1.4 million people, with at least 100 people confirmed dead, according to reports published May 8. Entering its sixth day of flooding, the state capital, Porto Alegre, is now facing a shortage of drinking water.

Under such critical circumstances, it is crucial to understand how this situation escalated so rapidly and consider how intentional city planning might prevent it from repeating itself.

Mariana Bernardes is an architect and urbanist from Passo Fundo, in the northern portion of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is also among the 425 out of 497 affected, with floods isolated to certain regions of the city.

Bernardes’ work focuses on humanizing structural problems with planning, technical responsibility, and social commitment. In an interview with Global Voices, she spoke about what could have been done to prevent the floods in Brazil and what can be done as communities look to collective reconstruction.

Global Voices (GV): The floods in southern Brazil demonstrate a series of failures and omissions, especially by the State. How could a humanized view of architecture and urbanism have prevented parts of this ongoing tragedy?

‘Desperate’ rescues under way as Brazil floods kill 90, displace thousands

May 10, 2024