Panama's Ministry of the Environment (MiAmbiente) reported last Friday that the country has assumed the coordination of the Binational Sixaola River Commission, a binational entity created jointly with Costa Rica for the integrated management and conservation of this water resource. According to authorities, over 33,000 people depend on the Binational Sixaola River Basin, and it is a valuable ecosystem between the two countries. The Binational Sixaola River Basin Commission was created in 2007 under the Panama-Costa Rica Cooperation Agreement for Border Development and began operations in 2009. "This advance occurs in a context where Panama is strengthening its presence in multilateral water governance frameworks after becoming, in 2023, the first country in Latin America to adhere to the Water Convention, a United Nations instrument for the sustainable management of transboundary watercourses," highlights the Panamanian environmental entity. The Sixaola River Basin is located mostly in the canton of Talamanca, Limón province (Costa Rican Caribbean), and in the Changuinola district, Bocas del Toro province, on the Panamanian side. "We will do our best to strengthen the shared management of this transboundary basin," said Arelis Cotes, regional director of MiAmbiente in Panama's Bocas del Toro province (Caribbean), as she assumed the coordination until November 2026 during a session of this binational body. The majority of the basin's population, about 11,000 people, are indigenous, belonging to the Ngäbe, Naso, Bribri, and Cabécar peoples. It is made up of 48 organizations from both countries, government entities and the private sector, and indigenous traditional authorities. However, it is at risk due to serious environmental problems caused by human activity. The coordination is "fundamental" for the integrated management of the water resource and the development of joint actions aimed at conservation, territorial planning, and sustainable production.
Panama Assumes Coordination of the Binational Sixaola River Commission
Panama has taken over the coordination of the Binational Sixaola River Commission, created jointly with Costa Rica for water resource management. This step strengthens Panama's role in multilateral water governance frameworks and highlights the importance of conserving a valuable ecosystem for over 33,000 people.
