Agua Salud, Panama

The Agua Salud Project is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the Panama Canal Authority, Panama’s National Environmental Authority, and the HSBC Climate Partnership that seeks to understand and quantify the diverse set of ecological, social, and economic services provided by tropical forests in the Panama Canal Watershed. The project utilizes the Panama Canal’s central role in world commerce to focus global attention on ecosystem services provided by tropical forests. Carbon storage, clean and plentiful water, and biodiversity conservation for enhanced ecosystem function and ecotourism are just a few of the services provided by tropical forests.