Water quality protected

The Defenders of Water Resources in Panama is a Participatory Monitoring group. Community volunteers, who represent the local communities surrounding Cobre Panamá, test water quality and work with experts to protect local waterways. Our Cobre Panamá resettlement is widely recognized as a model for successfully resettling communities through free, prior and informed consent.

Promoting transparency through water quality

The Defenders of Water Resources in Panama is a Participatory Monitoring group. Community volunteers, who represent the local communities surrounding Cobre Panamá, test water quality and work with experts to protect local waterways. Our Cobre Panamá resettlement is widely recognized as a model for successfully resettling communities through free, prior and informed consent. The program is a part of our EIA obligation to monitor the environmental impacts of mining activities and also promotes transparency between First Quantum and our host community.

Under the program, community members perform tests on local waterways every four months, with technical assistance from the international organization Avanzar, and the Autonomous University of Chiriqui. In addition, any community member with a cell phone can report environmental situations to the Defenders, who can investigate with additional testing or refer cases to the independent experts.

Recognised by the UN

First Quantum initiated the group and ensures volunteers are trained in sampling protocols. However, all testing by the Defenders is independent. Defenders collect samples and accompany them to the United States for analysis to ensure a robust chain-of-custody. The program has already been effective in informing our preventative measures. An example was when the Defenders identified temporary contamination of some rivers, investigated, and found the likely cause to be fuel spills from vehicle accidents. As a result of their recommendations, we have new safety procedures in place to reduce the risks of fuel spills. The Defenders program was cited in a recent United Nations Development Programme report as an example of leading practice for monitoring committees in mining contexts.