Panama Canal Faces Water Crisis: Access Restrictions and Decreased Ship Traffic

The canal lacks the rainwater needed to take ships through the locks, which function as water elevators.

If there are no heavy rains in the next three months, the access restrictions will be valid for one year, said Ilja Espino, the deputy head of the canal’s administration.

Each ship passing through the canal requires 200 million liters of fresh water to be carried through the locks. This water is provided by two artificial lakes, which are also the source of drinking water for half of Panama’s population.

Panama has been hit by a severe drought, exacerbated by the climate phenomenon “El Nino”. Because of this, the canal administration allows only ships with a maximum draft of 13.11 meters to cross it.

In 2022, an average of 40 ships per day crossed the canal, but now their number has shrunk to an average of 32 ships per day to save water.

The 80-kilometer-long canal is used mainly by customers from the United States, China and Japan.

2023-08-26 08:35:03
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