Climate Adaptation and Socio-Environmental Resilience in Indigenous Coastal Communities: A Sustainable Relocation Model for Gardí Sugdub (Guna Yala, Panama)

Abstract

This study analyzes the climate displacement of the Guna indigenous community of Gardí Sugdub Island, Guna Yala, Panama, which was relocated in 2024 due to rising sea levels and overpopulation. As an alternative to the government solution—which offered housing and land use incompatible with their traditions—an architectural proposal is presented, grounded in guna architecture and worldview, their settlement practices, use of space in traditional housing, and construction methods with natural materials, while also integrating eco-technologies to improve their quality of life. The project proposes development across three interconnected sites: on the mainland, on the original island, and through floating homes at sea. The objective is to exemplify a relocation that respects the community's culture and customs, preserves their identity and resilience to climate change, and establishes a replicable model for other vulnerable island communities in Panama and Central America.