On 10 September, the Guardian published an in-depth feature by Luke Taylor that uncovered the environmental toll hidden beneath the humanitarian catastrophe playing out in Panama’s Darién Gap, where hundreds of thousands of people risk their lives trying to cross in search of better opportunities. There, the local communities, Indigenous groups and fragile ecosystems of this remote forest are bearing the brunt of severe water pollution and environmental devastation exacerbated by the crisis. This intersection of humanitarian emergencies and environmental issues is a recurring theme in the Guardian’s Southern Frontlines: Latin America and the Caribbean project, which examines climate justice alongside the complex and conflicting pressures between natural resource protection and economic development. Launched one year ago, this series has reported extensively across the region, already covering 22 of its 33 countries and producing more than 100 on-the-ground stories as well as the special Latin oil rush series, which was enriched by the work of local writers, photographers and videographers. As well as the familiar portrayals of unstable democracies, drug cartels and deforestation that typically dominate headlines about the region, the idea is to delve deeper. We’ve also highlighted the struggles for land rights by local communities and Indigenous peoples; and access to clean water; as well as investigating the dramatic effects of the climate crisis and extreme weather; habitat loss and unchecked urbanisation; state violence; and the lack of transparency in development that plagues the region. In the coming year, we will continue to provide in-depth reporting on the regional challenges and resilience so the Guardian’s audience can break through the cliches and have a broader view of one of the most biodiverse and socially complex regions on the planet. Andrei Netto, commissioning editor, Latin America and the Caribbean
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