360° video: Panama's Guardians of the Rivers

How to watch: If you’re watching it on the computer, move around the 360 video by clicking and dragging your mouse, on your phone, open the YouTube app and move your phone around.Travel through virtual reality to the forests of Panama! The Emberá are the guardians of the river Chagres and the captivating forest they call home. But despite the area’s natural richness for the biosphere and the key role of the river in today’s world economy, the majority of the Indigenous Peoples that live along the river lack access to basic services like health, education and, ironically, running water. They also lack socio-economic opportunities. The COVID-19 crisis has worsened the situation by taking away their income through tourism. And with no access to running water or primary health care, they are more susceptible to the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 has accentuated the need for having effective, inclusive and culturally appropriate basic services delivery, and the Indigenous Peoples need to be agents of change during the recovery.