The Island Without Water by Astrid Scheuermann

Public Story

The Island Without Water

Copyright Astrid Scheuermann 2024

Updated Mar 2022

Location Taboga

Topics Documentary, Health/Healing, Journalism, Latin America, Photojournalism, Water

Summary

How does it feel to live surrounded by water but have no access to it?

How does it feel to live surrounded by water but have no access to it? During my last visit to Panama I went to Taboga, a volcanic island popular among people from Panama City as it is a short 20 kilometres from the capital. Known for its rich tropical plant life, Taboga is a popular holiday destination for capitalinos. Taboganos complain that since January 2022 they haven’t had access to drinking water. The response of authorities has been slow so far. In fact, as I write these words (Mid-March 2022), there is still no water on the island. Panama and water are synonymous of each other, as it is one of the top 5 countries with the highest precipitation in the world. Yet, the water supply sector in the country faces several challenges. In the Central American country, 42% of the drinking water is wasted or misused. Another major problem is the lack of infrastructure. Furthermore, access to drinking water is missing in large parts of non urban areas. Meanwhile, Taboga and its people will continue to be resilient in spite of the water supply problem.

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