Respecting Panama’s Biodiversity

Cobre Panamá lies entirely within the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor of the Panama Atlantic (“MBCPA”) and the Golfo de los Mosquitos Forests Important Bird Area. In recognition of the site’s high biodiversity and biological sensitivity, Cobre Panamá has implemented a Biodiversity Action Plan aligned to ESIA commitments and follows both national regulations and international best practices, such as the International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standard 6 (“PS6”), the Business and Biodiversity Offset Program’s (“BBOP”) Standard on Biodiversity Offsets, and the International Council on Mining and Metals (“ICMM”) Good Practice for Mining and Biodiversity.

The Cobre Panamá biodiversity action plan is based on three key areas – reforestation, protected areas, and species conservation.

Reforestation
Cobre Panamá had committed up to US$30 million to support the natural areas of the MBCPA for the next 10 years. Specifically:

• More than US$4 million was committed between 2022 and 2023
• 70% increase in headcount to aid conservation efforts, resulting in the addition of 12 more professionals and 38 park rangers
• 21 new vehicles were provided, including nine pickup trucks, 10 motorcycles, and three boats for work in the protected areas

Protected areas
The operational capacity of the surrounding protected areas was strengthened through collaboration with the Panamanian Ministry of Environment. The objectives are focused on reducing deforestation in surrounding areas, conserving species habitats, compensating for natural habitat loss, and funding and building capacity for protected area management.

Species conservation
For more than 10 years, Cobre Panamá supported the conservation of the harpy eagle, the national bird of Panama, in the Darién, home to the largest population of this species in Central America. And, since 2014, Cobre Panamá has worked with Sea Turtle Conservancy on monitoring and research of sea turtles both within and adjacent to the site, as well as remote populations.
Cobre Panamá also maintains connectivity of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor by having the only road in Panama built with engineering criteria based on ecological studies. This facilitates the transit of terrestrial mammals and arboreal animals through their migratory routes.

• 13 species registered using the wildlife crossings
• Wildlife crossings doubled in 2023
• 11 underpasses built for large wildlife
• 80 culverts for water drainage, which allow for smaller animal crossing
• Three aerial crossings installed for fauna
• 88 trap cameras operating 365 days a year to monitor different species crossing

Water quality monitoring
Cobre Panamá routinely monitors the surrounding rivers, which allows us to continuously evaluate the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the water, as well as the health of the aquatic ecosystem. Our internal monitoring is carried out in real-time using CCTV cameras and more than 40 real-time water quality and quantity monitoring stations as part of the largest monitoring network in Panama. Additionally, Cobre Panamá has more than 260 water quality monitoring stations, inside and outside of the project footprint. The mine is located in an area with a highly positive water balance, receiving 4-5 metres of rain each year. This means that we consistently discharge water into the environment, a practice subject to stringent compliance, monitoring, and audits conducted by the environmental ministry. Notably, 99% of the water we utilize comes from this natural rainfall source. Importantly, Cobre Panamá does not draw water directly from the Panama Canal’s water harvesting areas. We partner with local community members to monitor water quality, and share results and actions with them.

Micropropagation
We’re also working with a Panamanian university to ensure that we protect indigenous plants species. Starting small, we grow clones of a mother plant in a laboratory before replanting them in the wild. Find out more here.