Environment
Panama
Climate
characterized by a tropical maritime climate; features high temperatures, humidity, and cloud cover; experiences an extended rainy season from May until January, followed by a brief dry season from January to May
Land use
other
8.2% (2023 est.)
forest
62.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
29.5% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 7.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 1.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 20.3% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
69.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
1.92% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
1.472 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
14.2% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
contamination of water sources due to agricultural runoff; loss of tropical rainforest through deforestation; degradation of land and soil erosion associated with the Panama Canal; air quality issues in metropolitan regions; impacts resulting from mining
Total water withdrawal
municipal
759.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial
6.2 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural
446.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
23.458 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas
1.101 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke
1.969 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
20.389 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
11.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
139.304 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
Marine Life Conservation