Astrid Scheuermann

Photographer
    
The Island Without Water
Projects (1)
School: University of Leeds
Public Project
The Island Without Water
Copyright Astrid Scheuermann 2024
Updated Mar 2022
Location Taboga
Topics Documentary, Health/Healing, Journalism, Latin America, Photojournalism, Water
Summary
How does it feel to live surrounded by water but have no access to it?
How does it feel to live surrounded by water but have no access to it? During my last visit to Panama I went to Taboga, a volcanic island popular among people from Panama City as it is a short 20 kilometres from the capital. Known for its rich tropical plant life, Taboga is a popular holiday destination for capitalinos. Taboganos complain that since January 2022 they haven’t had access to drinking water. The response of authorities has been slow so far. In fact, as I write these words (Mid-March 2022), there is still no water on the island. Panama and water are synonymous of each other, as it is one of the top 5 countries with the highest precipitation in the world. Yet, the water supply sector in the country faces several challenges. In the Central American country, 42% of the drinking water is wasted or misused. Another major problem is the lack of infrastructure. Furthermore, access to drinking water is missing in large parts of non urban areas. Meanwhile, Taboga and its people will continue to be resilient in spite of the water supply problem.
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