{"id":12191,"date":"2018-06-25t01:21:16","date_gmt":"2018-06-25t01:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/guna-yala-islanders-in-a-moral-tug-of-war-over-tourism-climate-change\/"},"modified":"2023-03-07t19:39:36","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07t19:39:36","slug":"tourism-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/tourism-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"guna yala islanders in a moral tug of war over tourism, climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"
by nefertari bilal<\/strong><\/p>\n the guna, a native people of panama, live on dozens of idyllic islands in the caribbean, grappling with the challenges posed by globalization and welcoming travelers seeking out more remote cultures. while globalization brings new challenges to traditions, it also offers opportunities that the guna are eager to sustain for the welfare of their nation.<\/p>\n the guna people rely heavily on tourism, notes guna environmental attorney aresio valiente lopez, as his words are translated by his son diwigdi valiente, an environmental activist and entrepreneur. lopez is both a law consultant for the guna congress and a member of the governing body. <\/p>\n lopez estimates that 80% of guna income draws from tourism, making it essential for the economy. from tourism the guna earn $2 million, $500,000 of which is invested by the guna congress on behalf of the community. however, the impact of sea level rise due to climate change puts this industry at risk and a drastic decrease in tourists could leave many guna in financial distress.<\/p>\n as a result, the guna are finding ways to develop tourism from the mainland and to diversify their economy.<\/p>\n