Stakeholder perceptions on governance for the protection and increase of forest cover in the Panama Canal Watershed

Governance regimes have been endorsed by governments, academics and developmental aid agencies as a way to achieve complex environmental and social objectives. The Integrated Watershed Management governance regime for the Panama Canal’s Watershed was created to achieve the protection and restoration of forest cover. I assessed through semi-structured and open ended interviews the perceptions of government and community stakeholders on the achievements and challenges of the regime. The main achievements include increased environmental awareness of the community members and their empowerment to lead meetings with local authorities and hold them accountable for provision of solutions to social and environmental issues. Long-term sustainability of the governance structure is challenged by discrepancies between the desire of community members to be recipients of funds to conduct environmental projects and the vision of the government institution, the Panama Canal Authority, that wants voluntary participation of the community. Lack of support from other government institutions limits the impact of the governance regime for providing social and environmental solutions. The governance regime can profit from greater communication between actors and a greater allocation of responsibilities to local community organizations.