Decreased movement through one of the most important waterway shortcuts for ocean cargo between Asia and the Americas could soon be eased as weather forecasts predict plenty of rain heading towards Panama.
Because of a drought, the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) was forced to limit ship passages to 24 per day until April 2024 due to dropping water levels in Gatún Lake, a man-made reservoir that supplies water to the canal’s locks and millions of residents in the central region of the country.
According to Woodwell Climate Research Centre, the El Niño weather phenomenon of the west coast of South America and related climate change impacts have had a profound effect on Gatún Lake, with water levels lower than in any other January on record.
The lake’s current level is almost six feet lower than it was a year ago.
The PCA has implemented traffic control measures to manage the congestion, limiting the daily number of vessels allowed to pass through the canal to 32 instead of 36, with 10 slots reserved for Neo-Panamax vessels and the remainder for Panamax vessels.
However, the PCA is optimistic about the upcoming rainy season, with predictions suggesting that El Niño will weaken, and neutral or La Niña conditions will emerge by October 2024, bringing much-needed rain.
The PCA is also planning for long-term sustainability by looking at a holistic project that includes increased water-saving measures and the construction of a new reservoir on the western side of the Panama Canal watershed, which will provide water for 11 to 16 lockages per day, PBS News Hour has reported.
The PCA’s chief sustainability officer is tasked with impacting not only the canal’s sustainability but also worldwide policy to go into carbon neutrality, aiming for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in line with global efforts to reduce the carbon footprint.
