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Panama as a One Health Laboratory for Climate Resilience - Bionatura journal

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Panama as a Natural Laboratory of Climate Resilience, Environmental Health, and Territorial Sustainability: Reflections from the 2025 Special Cluster
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Jaime Javier Gutiérrez 1* Francisco Farnum Castro 2
1 Vice-Rector for Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Panama, Universidad de Panamá, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá.
2 Academic and Scientific Publications Office, Coordinator,  Universidad de Panamá, Panamá
francisco.farnum@up.ac.pa
Corresponding author. jaime.gutierrez@up.ac.pa

ABSTRACT
Panama is at a critical moment. Increasing pressure on its water sources, declining food quality, accelerated soil degradation, and the vulnerability of its coastlines intersect with the growing effects of climate change and long-standing territorial inequalities that persist today. This Special Cluster of the BioNatura Journal brings together studies conducted across different regions of the country, which have been expanded and strengthened through external peer review under the supervision of the BioNatura Institutional Publishing Consortium (BIPC). The investigations explore microbiological risks in water and food, agricultural microbiota in tropical soils, marine conservation, climate-driven displacement of Indigenous communities, educational ergonomics, urban mobility, and flooding. This editorial situates these contributions within global frameworks such as One Health, climate resilience, emerging contaminants, and water–food security, highlighting the University of Panama's role as a driver of applied science and a bridge between knowledge, society, and public policy.
 
Keywords: Panama; One Health; climate resilience; environmental health; emerging contaminants; drinking water; food safety; soil microbiota; coastal vulnerability; sustainable urbanism; Panama Canal; BioNatura Journal.
 

EDITORIAL
 
Panama occupies a unique position in the region. It is a natural bridge between oceans and cultures, a global transit hub, and at the same time, a country deeply shaped by the diversity of its landscapes: vulnerable coastlines, watersheds that sustain entire cities, rural regions with unevenly distributed resources, and Indigenous communities preserving ancestral identities. This richness also makes it a territory where the effects of climate change, demographic pressure, and infrastructure gaps are felt with particular intensity.
 
Science has increasingly documented this reality. The IPCC¹ and recent regional studies² show that Central America is experiencing sea-level rise, more frequent flooding, and hazardous compound climate events—the concurrence of extreme rainfall, high tides, or heatwaves—widely described in global assessments³. For those living in coastal neighborhoods, low-lying zones, or riverbanks, these events are not abstract projections: they are real disruptions, economic losses, health risks, and in some cases, unavoidable displacement.
 
Added to this scenario are silent threats such as microplastics⁴, PFAS⁵, and pharmaceutical residues⁶—emerging contaminants whose accumulation in water, soil, and organisms is now evident in many tropical countries. Although this issue focuses on microbiological risks, the expanding global evidence of their impacts on human and environmental Health cannot be ignored.
 
Within this complex context, the studies included in this Special Cluster become particularly relevant. Each contributes a piece to a broader puzzle: how to secure safe water, how to produce food without degrading ecosystems, how to protect coasts and communities, how to design more livable cities, and how to sustain public Health in an era of climatic uncertainty.
 
The science presented here aligns with global frameworks such as One Health, water and food security, and climate resilience⁷,⁸,⁹. These approaches emphasize that human Health, animal health, and ecosystems cannot be addressed separately. In Panama—where the well-being of rural communities depends on water, soil, and climate as much as on healthcare services—this perspective is particularly pertinent.
 
 


Figure 1. Conceptual representation of the One Health framework illustrating the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental Health. Key determinants—such as food security, disease vectors, intensive livestock farming, biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, climate change, and population dynamics—highlight the systemic nature of health risks relevant to Panama's climate resilience and environmental sustainability.
 

Editorial Rigor and a Sense of Purpose
 
The manuscripts in this collection are not conference proceedings. Each study was independently expanded, verified, and peer-reviewed. The process, led by the BIPC and Clinical Biotec S.L., ensures institutional diversity and the total absence of endogamy (or self-referentiality). This allows knowledge generated in rural regions, urban areas, or Indigenous territories to engage with global scientific debates without losing authenticity.
 

Water, Food, and Environmental Health
 
Studies on Cryptosporidium spp., helminths, coliforms, and nematodes in drinking water systems confirm patterns observed in tropical countries¹⁰,¹¹,¹²,¹³. When water is viewed through daily experience—the faucet of a rural household, a community storage tank, or a treatment plant—its quality ceases to be a technical abstraction and becomes a condition for life.
 
The microbial contamination detected in foods from fairs and community events mirrors findings in informal markets throughout Latin America¹⁴, underscoring that public health and food culture must move forward together, not in tension.
 

Soils, Agriculture, and Microbiota
 
Contributions on soil microbiota and PGPMs provide a hopeful trajectory for maintaining agricultural productivity in an era of global fertilizer crisis¹⁵ and the imperative to shift toward more regenerative systems¹⁶,¹⁷,¹⁸.
 
Panama's agriculture—like that of many tropical countries—is characterized by degraded soils, excessive climatic variability, and reliance on imported inputs. National scientific research on microbiota-related solutions is a step toward technological freedom and  sustained competitive advantage.
 

Marine Biodiversity, Climate Refugees, and Environmental Justice
 
The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (⁁Lepidochelys olivacea)¹⁹ conservation is an example of how marine biodiversity is not just an ecological value but also a cultural one.
 
The case of Gardi Sugdub²⁰ reveals a painful phenomenon: climate displacement. For Indigenous families leaving their islands, sea-level rise is not a statistical datum but the loss of home and identity. Such studies call for adaptation policies that are sensitive, just, and evidence-based.
 

Urbanism, Flooding, and Well-being
 
Research on mobility, rest, and academic performance²¹ shows that Health is not confined to hospitals: it is shaped by daily commutes, learning environments, and life rhythms.
 
Analyses of critical infrastructure and flooding²³,²⁴ demonstrate that Panamanian cities must anticipate rising risks and design solutions integrating engineering, architecture, nature, and community.
 
In a country that hosts the Panama Canal, any water or climate crisis has global repercussions. Territorial resilience is therefore a strategic and geopolitical issue.
 

The University of Panama and Science for the Country
 
This Special Cluster shows the University of Panama as an articulating actor—a space where microbiology, architecture, public Health, biotechnology, geosciences, and community knowledge converge.
 
It also underscores the need to strengthen scientific governance, open data, integrated surveillance, and long-term funding, in line with UN–FAO–UNEP frameworks.
 
 
                     
    
Science, when connected to real population needs, becomes a tool for transformation.

CONCLUSIONS
 
Panama faces challenges that intertwine climate, Health, territorial development, and sustainability. The studies gathered in this Special Cluster show that applied science—when carried out with rigor, local commitment, and global vision—can provide concrete answers and open pathways toward a more resilient future.
 
The issue reaffirms the importance of the One Health approach and highlights emerging topics such as persistent contaminants and compound climate events. It also reminds us that territorial inequality, coastal vulnerability, and urban pressure are shared challenges across Latin America that demand sustained scientific cooperation.
 

Funding Statement
 
This editorial received no external funding. Institutional support for academic duties and editorial preparation was provided through the Office of the Vice-Rector for Research and Graduate Studies of the University of Panama.
 
Conflict of Interest Statement
 
The author declares no conflict of interest. No external entity influenced the conception, writing, interpretation, or decision to publish this editorial.
 
Author Contributions (CRediT Taxonomy)
 
Conceptualization, J.J.G.; Writing—Original Draft, J.J.G.; Writing—Review and Editing, J.J.G.; Supervision, J.J.G.
The author has read and approved the final version of this editorial.
 
Data Availability Statement
 
Not applicable. This editorial does not involve new datasets or analyses.
 
Institutional Review Board Statement
 
Not applicable. This editorial does not involve human or animal subjects.
 
Informed Consent Statement
 
Not applicable. No human subjects were involved.
 
Acknowledgments
 
The author acknowledges the University of Panama for its institutional support in developing the scientific initiatives highlighted in this Special Cluster. Appreciation is also extended to the researchers and partner institutions whose contributions made this thematic issue possible.
 
AI-Assisted Tools Disclosure
 
No AI system generated or analyzed scientific data for this editorial.
Generative artificial intelligence tools were used exclusively for minor linguistic refinement and formatting adjustments, under full human supervision. No AI tool contributed to conceptual development, interpretation, or the creation of original content.
All ideas and arguments presented are the author's own and were independently reviewed in accordance with BioNatura Journal's AI-assisted content policy (https://bionaturajournal.com/artificial-intelligence--ai-.html).
 
 
                               
    

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Received: 2 Nov 2025 / Accepted: 8 Dec 2025 / Published (online): 15 Dec 2025 (Europe/Madrid)
 
Citation
 
Gutiérrez J.J. Panama as a Natural Laboratory of Climate Resilience, Environmental Health, and Territorial Sustainability: Reflections from the 2025 Special Cluster. BioNatura Journal. 2025; 2(4): 2. https://doi.org/10.70099/BJ/2025.02.04.21
 
Additional Information
 
Correspondence: jaime.gutierrez@up.ac.pa
 
Peer Review Information
 
This editorial was reviewed under the standard editorial screening process of BioNatura Journal.
Regional peer-review coordination was conducted under the BioNatura Institutional Publishing Consortium (BIPC), involving:
 
     
  • Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH)
    •  
  • Universidad de Panamá (UP)
    •  
  • RELATIC (Panama)
 
Reviewer support was provided through the Web of Science Reviewer Locator platform: https://reviewerlocator.webofscience.com/.
 
 
Publisher Information
 
Published by Clinical Biotec S.L. (Madrid, Spain) as the publisher of record under the BioNatura Institutional Publishing Consortium (BIPC).
Institutional co-publishers: UNAH (Honduras), UP (Panama), and RELATIC (Panama).
Places of publication: Madrid (Spain); Tegucigalpa (Honduras); Panama City (Panama).
Online ISSN: 3020-7886
 
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© 2025 by the author. This editorial is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License details: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
 
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For editorial governance and co-publisher responsibilities, see the BIPC Governance Framework (PDF): https://clinicalbiotec.com/bipc
 
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