The Hydrologic Model Topmodel

Control of the Panama Canal Basin transfers from the United States of America to the Republic of Panama on the last day of 1999. The Panamanian and United States governments are concerned that the rapid deforestation of the Panama Canal Basin will jeopardize the future operation of the Panama Canal, the capacity and quality of potable water supplied to Panama City, and the diverse rain forest ecosystems of the central Isthmus of Panama. In April 1996, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funded the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) to assist the Panamanian Instituto de Recursos Naturales Renovables (INRENARE) in establishing an environmental monitoring program in the Panama Canal Watershed (PMCC) with a focus on monitoring the effects of deforestation and urbanization within the Watershed. This project ends in 1998. Objectives were to establish initial monitoring, to train personnel, to obtain baseline results, and to leave a viable monitoring program in the hands of INRENARE. It is segregated into four components with four Principal Investigators (PI). Robert Stallard is PI of “Soils and Hydrology;” Richard Condit is PI of “Forest Cover;” Roberto Ibáñez is PI of “Vertebrate Diversity,” and Stanley Heckadon is PI of “Sociology.”