The Guna people of Panama have become the country’s first community to relocate due to climate change, as rising sea levels threaten to submerge their island home of Gardi Sugdub. Residents are now settling into their new mainland village, Isberyala, after centuries of life on the tiny island.

For Delfino Davies, who runs a small museum documenting Guna heritage, the move is bittersweet. “If the island sinks, I will sink with it,” he says, sweeping the floor of his museum. His words capture the deep connection the Guna people have with their ancestral land.

Gardi Sugdub, just 400 meters long and 150 meters wide, has faced worsening floods in recent years, with waves regularly washing into homes. While overcrowding was initially the main concern, climate change has made the island uninhabitable. Scientists predict that most of the Guna’s 40 other inhabited islands will also be underwater by the end of the century.

The relocation, funded with $15 million from the Panamanian government and additional support from the Inter-American Development Bank, has provided the Guna with modern homes, paved roads, and a state-of-the-art school. Each family has a small plot of land, allowing them to grow crops like yucca, bananas, and pineapples—something impossible on the island.

Despite these improvements, challenges remain. Healthcare services are yet to be established, and water supply issues persist. Some residents, like Yanisela Vallarino, still return to the island for medical care. “I’m not used to it yet. And I miss my house,” she admits.

The Guna are determined to maintain their traditions. In the new community meeting house, Sayla (leader) Tito López reassures, “My identity and my culture aren’t going to change, it’s just the houses that have changed.”

At the school, children continue to learn traditional Guna music and dance. Magdalena Martínez, a relocated resident, teaches her granddaughter to sew the colorful “molas” for which the Guna are known. “Our unique ways can’t be lost,” she says.

Experts say the Guna’s experience could serve as a global example of managed climate migration. “Communities around the world will be inspired by how they have confronted this crisis,” says Erica Bower, a climate displacement researcher at Human Rights Watch.

For many Guna, the move is an emotional shift, but young residents like eight-year-old Jerson are embracing the change. “I prefer this place to the island because we have more space to play,” he says, chasing a football.

As Panama works to relocate the remaining island residents, the Guna’s journey highlights both the resilience of indigenous communities and the urgent global challenge posed by rising seas.