Unfurled for over a decade along the beaches and communities of Costa Rica, the Blue Flag for Ecology extends its positive influence to the coasts of Panama.

A derivative of the “Blue Flag” campaign established in the European Union in 1985, the Costa Rican program is geared towards coastal and even non coastal communities, - as an incentive to protect beach areas from environmental contamination and to thereby increase their potential to attract tourism..

Panama has beaches of extraordinary natural beauty and conscientious of this, its Authorities have recognized in the Costa Rican experience, the development of a program of distinguished communitarian significance worth implementing in their country.

The Ecological Blue Flag program is based on education and information in regards to the environment. Simply put, it seeks looks to increase public knowledge and awareness on this subject and to establish a platform that activates participation of the citizenry, in the protection of the nature.

Panama endeavors to establish the program as an incentive for coastal tourism companies and communities, to protect its beaches. It is recognized that the visitors to these areas are willing to pay a higher rate, as a byproduct of increased service quality and the knowledge that there is no contamination.

The Ecological Blue Flag award is a recognized symbol that demands the fulfillment of high environmental sanitary standards and is granted for one year periods, to ensure continued implementation of these standards in areas such as: the quality of sea water and of water for human consumption; the quality of the coasts themselves; sewage and control of industrial wastes; treatment of residual water; environmental education; rescue services; first aid and lifeguards along the beaches, among others.

As in the case Costa Rica a decade ago, the Panamanian Ecological Blue Flag project has begun with a pilot program in the sectors of Veracruz, El Chorrillo, San Felipe, San Miguelito and in the provinces of Coclé, Colón, Herrera, Los Santos and Veraguas.

In Costa Rica, Panama’s northern neighbor, the program has consistently grown from an initial award to 10 coastal communities in 1986, to recognizing the efforts of 19, 24, 27, 35 and 37 in the following quinquenial period. In 2002, the number of awards increased to 45 and in the presently a total 57 beaches can fly the standard: 22 in the North Pacific Tourist Region of the, 25 in the Southern Pacific and 9 beaches along the Caribbean coast.

While the fulfillment of the criteria is verified by means of periodic laboratory analysis of and inspections by regional and local authorities, the best witness to the levels of fulfillment of the requirements, are the visitors to these recognized beaches and sports ports, given that a verified contravention of vital criteria would result in the immediate loss of the Blue Flag distinction.

With determined and firm procedures, the Panamanian authorities will develop the program in 44 groups, 122 communities, 99 schools and 14 beaches that during the present year; will seek to claim Blue Flag credentials in search of this coveted recognition.