Panama Canal Authority and the Nature Conservancy Partner to

Panama Canal Authority and the Nature Conservancy Partner to Conserve Canal Watershed: Canal Authority Also Announces Signing of a Letter of Intent with USAID - Preserving Biodiversity And Water Resources A Priority

(Note: Language deception is the thread that runs throughout.)

June 3, 2003

Panama Canal Authority
P.O. Box 526725
Miami, FL 33152-6725
507-272-3202 or 507-272-3165

Note: (507) is the country code for the Republic of Panama. If calling from the United States, please dial 011(507) 272-1111. If calling from another country, dial 00(507) 272-1111.
gfagette@pancanal.com or gtapiero@pancanal.com

http://www.pancanal.com/index.html

Site Map: http://www.pancanal.com/eng/mapa.html

Virtual Newsroom: http://www.pancanal.com/eng/noticiero/index.html

Panama City, Panama - The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) announced a landmark environmental agreement with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to create and promote policies that preserve the Panama Canal watershed -- with special emphasis on the Chagres River area.

The ACP and TNC have a common goal of protecting and preserving the rainforests and other natural resources of the watershed, which supplies the water for the operation of the Panama Canal and the drinking water for Panama 's two largest cities, Panama City and Colon .

The two groups have agreed to work together to combat deforestation, guarantee a healthy biodiversity and implement pro-active environmental policies for the watershed.

Their work will be largely modeled on the best practices gleaned from The Nature Conservancy's work in the Chagres River Basin and the Chagres National Park in Panama , where TNC sought to expand park limits, increase efficiency and improve management of the protected area through endowments, co-management agreements and stricter monitoring.

ACP Administrator, Alberto Alem’n Zubieta, and the President of The Nature Conservancy, Steven J. McCormick, signed the agreement in 2003.

Since its creation after the transfer of the Canal to Panama in 1999, the ACP has been committed to preserving the watershed, which it administers and maintains in cooperation with the government of Panama and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The Nature Conservancy, an environmental NGO, aims to preserve plants, animals and their natural habitats by protecting the land and water they rely on to survive.

Since Panama is home to 900 bird species and has one of Central America 's untouched rainforests, TNC works with the country's leading environmental organizations to protect Panama 's impressive biodiversity.

Alberto Alem’n Zubieta hailed the agreement as an example of the ACP's commitment to the environment and sustainable development. " Successful Canal operations entail caring for the environment around the Canal, such as the watershed. The watershed is the lifeblood of the Canal and provides vital water for Panama 's major cities, such as Panama City , Colon and La Chorrera. Running the Canal as a business, we are always looking for partners and strategic alliances that will help us run the Canal reliably while maintaining the watershed."

The ACP also announced the signing of a letter of intent with USAID for parallel financing of programs and projects in pilot sub-watersheds in the Panama Canal watershed. Both the ACP and USAID agreed to invest in the programs and projects identified in the action plans, based on assessments of the sub-watersheds selected.

It is anticipated that these pilot activities will serve as models that can be replicated throughout the Panama Canal Watershed.

"This achievement, coupled with our announcement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), demonstrates that the Panama Canal is making great strides on the environmental front," concluded Alem’n Zubieta.

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/cgi-bin/news/boletin.cgi?submit=Consulta&item=108

About the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal Authority is the autonomous agency of the Government of Panama in charge of managing, operating, and maintaining the Panama Canal . The operation of the Panama Canal Authority is based on its organic law and the regulations approved by its Board of Directors. For more information, please refer to the website: www.pancanal.com.

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/cgi-bin/news/boletin.cgi?submit=Consulta&item=4

Panama Canal Authority Participates in Environmental Congress

<?????O???>November 6, 2000

Panama Canal Authority
P.O. Box 526725
Miami, FL 33152-6725
507-272-3202 or 507-272-3165

http://www.pancanal.com/index.html

Site Map: http://www.pancanal.com/eng/mapa.html

Virtual Newsroom: http://www.pancanal.com/eng/noticiero/index.html

Panama - Panama Canal Authority (ACP) representative Juan Hector Diaz traveled to Amman , Jordan , to participate in this year’s World Congress of Nature, one of the most significant environmental conferences in the international arena.

The Congress was organized by the IUCN (International Union for Nature Conservancy)[part of the United Nations], a pioneer environmentalist group created 52 years ago.

On invitation from The Nature Conservancy, the Canal Authority contributed to the conference with a discourse on the Canal watershed sustainable development program presented by Diaz, Director of the ACP Department of Safety, Environment, and Security.

Additional participants from Panama included Elena Lombardo for the Natura Foundation, who presented a synopsis of their work in the area of sustainable development, as well as the National Authority for the Environment (ANAM), the Applied Science Study Circle (CECA), and the National Association for Nature Conservancy (ANCON).

Also in attendance were nearly 2,000 delegates from the 79 member countries of the IUCN, a widely encompassing organization comprised of 112 state environment and development organizations, 735 international NGOs and 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries.

On behalf of the Panama Canal , Mr. Diaz reiterated the ACP’s commitment to become a leader in worldwide sustainable development programs through Canal watershed conservation efforts.

One of the key elements of the ACP sustainable development program is a permanent dialogue between the Canal organization and the communities-at-large, while promoting active community participation with regard to the issue.

“With proper management of the region, productive activity can be achieved without failing to preserve the rich biodiversity in the new protected areas,” asserted Diaz.

The Panama Canal watershed, an area of approximately 552 thousand hectares, represents roughly seven percent of Panama ’s entire national territory.

Six protected forest and national park areas occupy more than 125 thousand hectares of the total watershed area.

The ACP presentation was well received as indicated by positive comments from the World Commission on Dams, an organization which functions under the auspices of the United Nations Environmental Program, the World Bank and the UICN, among others.

The Canal organization seized the opportunity to invite the Commission to hold a summit in Panama , which would include the participation of other countries in the region.

The World Congress of Nature themes for 2000 were concentrated on the relationship between natural resource conservation and security. In addition, methods for promoting peace and socioeconomic stability through transnational cooperation were addressed and analyzed.

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/cgi-bin/news/boletin.cgi?submit=Consulta&item=4

http://www.vtc.net/~jfkeeler/articles2/preserving.htm