Community Based Ecotourism In The Panama Canal Watershed: Executive Summary
by Tara Lumpkin

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PANAMA -- Tourism, which is predicted to become a leading contributor to Panama's economy, can be harnessed to support conservation, historical preservation, cultural revitalization, research, and community well-being. The fact that Panama has very little tourism infrastructure actually allows the country to position itself to take advantage of tourism's new global profile that focuses on the synergy of tourism, conservation, and research. "Sustainable heritage tourism" is one term used to describe this concept (Ayala 1997). Another term is "ecotourism." In order for Panama to become a leader in sustainable heritage tourism, strategic alliances must be created between five sectors: communities, the non-profit sector (community based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and research organizations), government agencies, donor organizations, and the private sector.

Community based ecotourism is undeveloped in Panama, and no tourism master plan exists that links communities to other sectors involved in tourism. Projects in other countries illustrate that when communities become involved in grassroots level tourism, they can preserve their local environments and earn additional income, thus reducing their reliance on unsustainable environmental practices. Community based ecotourism is particularly useful for communities living within or near protected areas. Efforts must be made to link community based ecotourism with conservation; otherwise, community level tourism actually can have negative effects upon local environments. And other sectors must actively support community efforts to engage in grassroots ecotourism if their own tourism efforts are to succeed.

Plans exist for eco-resorts and other tourism development in the Panama Canal Watershed. There are five protected areas within the watershed (Chagres Park, Soberania Park, Camino de Cruces Park, Altos de Campana Park, and Lake Gatún Recreational Area). Communities live within Chagres Park and in the buffer zones of all five protected areas. Because the watershed provides water to the Panama Canal and is an important source of drinking water to Panama City and Colon, the area must be protected. The area is also important for its biodiversity. A number of organizations have proposed that community based ecotourism could help to provide Panama Canal Watershed communities with alternative income sources while simultaneously helping them to preserve their local environment.

Purpose of Study

This Qualitative Study on Community Based Ecotourism in the Panama Canal Watershed is a study on the feasibility of implementing community based ecotourism among chosen areas (and communities) in the Panama Canal Watershed. The study analyzed community use of natural resources (including a gender analysis), introduced the concept of community based ecotourism to community members, and explored, through focus groups, community based ecotourism potential for the studied areas. In addition, the report makes recommendations as to how to organize community based ecotourism in the Panama Canal Watershed, focusing particularly on participatory planning that unifies the communities in planning workshops with the non-profit sector, government, donors, and businesses.

Study Methodology

Purposive sampling was used to choose study areas and the communities that were subsequently surveyed. This was accomplished by interviewing key persons who have worked in the Panama Canal Watershed and asking their advice as to which communities had high community based ecotourism potential. Then Dr. Lumpkin, the principal investigator, visited these communities and conducted community meetings and informal interviews with community members in order to choose the communities that would subsequently be surveyed in-depth. Preliminary analysis revealed that communities needed to coordinate to create tourism packages if they were to be successful in creating marketable community based ecotourism. Keeping this in mind, Dr. Lumpkin chose three areas (community clusters) for the more in-depth survey:

• Chagres River Biological Corridor and Soberania Park Buffer Zone (Cluster One)
  
• Lake Gatún Recreational Area and Soberania Park Buffer Zone (Cluster Two)
  
• Chagres Park (Cluster Three)

The subsequent in-depth survey used the following qualitative data gathering methods: community meetings, informal interviews, key-informant interviews, and focus groups. Two bilingual interviewers assisted Dr. Lumpkin in the survey process. The Panamanian National Environmental Commission provided logistical support for the survey and the United States Agency for International Development in Panama funded the survey and report production.

In addition, Dr. Lumpkin conducted background research on ecotourism and community based ecotourism. She also attended meetings on the topic with non-profit organizations, Panama government agencies, donors, and private sector businesses (including inbound and outbound ecotourism tour operators) in Panama and Washington, DC.

General Study Results and Recommendations

Awareness of Ecotourism

Communities in the Panama Canal Watershed have had little contact with the concept of ecotourism. Only indigenous Emberá communities have attempted to earn money from ecotourism. However, none of the Emberá communities have had a sense of real ownership of their ecotourism ventures, because visitors and marketing of the community as a product have been controlled principally by tour operators. However, there is a great deal of interest among Latino and indigenous communities in the watershed in organizing and implementing community based ecotourism.

Over-hunting, Game Raising, Community Game Guards, and Guides

Over-hunting is endemic throughout the Panama Canal Watershed. In order to reduce over-hunting, communities must become part of a system of community game guards. Community game guard systems have been highly effective in other areas of the world. In essence, communities liaise with park guards in order to protect the environment and particularly to reduce over-hunting. The best community game guards and guides are those who know the most about animals and nature: hunters. By recruiting hunters as guides and community game guards, one provides this group with an income and uses their skills to protect rather than harm the environment. This concept was popular among all surveyed communities and was particularly popular among hunters themselves. Furthermore, most communities, and particularly women, were interested in raising game animals to sell. This, too, would reduce over-hunting.

Nature Tourism and Adventure Tourism

Communities are interested in creating nature and adventure tourism. Some of the areas that interest them are: wildlife viewing, fishing, canoeing, rafting, horseback riding, hiking, and camping. Wildlife viewing is the most popular form of nature tourism at this time. Adventure tourism often incorporates wildlife viewing as part of its package and is also popular. As mentioned, former hunters usually make excellent guides.

Ethnotourism, Local and Indigenous Knowledge, and Medicinal Plants

Linking biodiversity conservation with indigenous knowledge systems and ecotourism can best be described as ethnotourism. Worldwide there is increasing interest in medicinal plants and local and indigenous knowledge, including how traditional healers (or shamans) heal. Communities are positioned to offer ecotourists this experience. Many community members not only can grow and sell medicinal plants, they also can explain to tourists how they use these plants and how they use ritual to treat different illnesses. And, most importantly, they can educate tourists about their cultures' perspectives on illness, healing, and health. This is probably one of the most likely areas to bring communities income, because tour agencies will have difficulty competing with communities in this area. In addition, it is an area in which women generally want to participate; hence, it can empower women. And this sort of experience is highly marketable for larger eco-resorts; thus, it provides a natural link between communities and the private sector. The private sector can help finance the capacity building and infrastructure necessary for this type of product and can then market it to their clients.

Need for Ecotourism Packages

Multiple communities within certain areas (such as the Chagres River Biological Corridor and Soberania Park Buffer Zone, Lake Gatún Recreational Area and Soberania Park Buffer Zone, and Chagres Park) need to coordinate to create community based ecotourism packages. They also should link with other sectors (non-profit, government, donor, and business) to facilitate this process. In addition, area-based tourism packages should be linked with one another. An example that could be followed by communities trying to plan, coordinate, and implement joint ecotourism packages is the Everglades Wilderness Model proposed for Chagres Park. Communities exist within Chagres Park. If these communities are to benefit from community based ecotourism, they need to coordinate to create a plan that allows tourists to visit multiple communities, and they need to create a reason for the tourist to do so. One suggestion is to have tourists paddle by canoe from community to community, eating or staying over in some communities. Each community would offer a slightly different "experience" and "personal history" from any other one. Such a package is far more likely to draw tourists and public attention than each community simply trying to market their own small grassroots ecotourism enterprise.

Gender Analysis

Women rarely have derechos posesorios in their own names. Derechos posesorios is a Spanish term that roughly translates as "rights to land use." While this is not the same as owning land or having title to land, it does allow community members to occupy and work land that officially belongs to the government. Women generally have less access to capital than men, and they also bear the additional burden of childcare, which is unremunerated work. However, women remain in the community during the day more than men. And many women stated that they were better able to work cooperatively than men. Women expressed strong interest in working in ecotourism in these areas: providing food and accommodations, making and selling crafts, raising game animals, growing and selling medicinal plants, and educating visitors about their culture and knowledge. Only a few women expressed interest in becoming guides/community game guards; however, because this is a high status profession and because guides become de facto environmental educators for their communities, women should be heavily recruited for this job.

Recommendations for Organizing CBE

Inter-Institutional Framework for Sustainable Heritage Tourism

At this time, an Inter-Institutional Framework for Sustainable Heritage Tourism is being developed by key players in Panama's government and private sector. It is recommended that the Committee create a framework that purposively includes representatives from communities, as well as the non-profit sector, and donor community.

Panama Canal Watershed Ecotourism Participatory Planning Process

In order for sustainable heritage tourism to be successful in the Panama Canal Watershed, it is necessary that a participatory planning process including a Participatory Planning Workshop be held for five sectors: communities, non-profit, government, donor, and private. The output of this participatory planning process will be an Agreement on Ecotourism Policy and Best Practices for the PCW. This agreement, and the process that facilitated it, subsequently can be used as models for other areas in Panama.

Community Based Ecotourism Committees

Before, during, and after the PCW Participatory Planning Workshop, communities need to organize two types of Community Based Ecotourism Committees:

I. Ecotourism Committees need to be organized within individual communities or within groups of communities that must work closely together and that are not physically too far apart. An example of the latter are the four communities (Santa Rosa, Guayabalito, Aguas Claras, and Palenque) in the Chagres River Biological Corridor.

II. In addition, Coordinating Community Based Ecotourism Committees must be set up. The role of these committees is to coordinate tourism packages by working with the smaller Ecotourism Committees so as to ensure maximum marketability and ensure ecotourism standards.

If women are to participate in CBE, Ecotourism Committees should be strongly encouraged to include women.

Local Participatory Planning Workshops

After the initial PCW Participatory Planning Workshops, NGOs working in the Panama Canal Watershed should engage in localized Participatory Planning Workshops based upon: (1) the areas where they are already working, and (2) communities that can collaborate to create marketable tourism packages. These workshops should include: (1) community representatives, (2) community based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and research organizations (3) relevant government agencies, (4) relevant donor organizations, and (5) the private sector, particularly tour agencies, hotel operators, and other business persons.

Capacity building

While ecotourism participatory planning is taking place at a variety of levels, capacity building will need to occur in communities. Some communities will need aid in organizing Community Based Ecotourism Committees. Other communities further down the community based ecotourism path (such as Parará Purú) will need specific help in such areas as coordinating with each other, raising funds, creating infrastructure , and promoting their tourism package.

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