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Panama Canal to cap ship transits due to El Nino drought
DW.com • • world
Key Points:
- Starting September 3, the Panama Canal will reduce the number of ships passing through from 36 to 34, and further decrease to 32 ships from September 15 due to drought conditions caused by the El Nino weather pattern.
- El Nino, characterized by unusually warm ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, is causing severe drought in Panama, with rainfall between May and August about 34% below the historical average.
- The Panama Canal, a critical waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and facilitating about 5% of global maritime trade, has faced similar drought-related restrictions in 2023, when ship transits were cut from 38 to 22 daily.
- Experts warn that this El Nino event could be one of the strongest on record since 1950, potentially intensifying extreme weather events worldwide due to the already warm global climate from fossil fuel pollution.
- The Panama Canal Authority has implemented water conservation measures and is seeking long-term solutions to ensure the sustainability of the waterway amid increasing climate challenges.
