The overseeing body of one of the world’s most heavily trafficked shipping passages, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), revealed a new protocol to curb the number of ships navigating this critical interoceanic course. This action emerges as a necessary response to an unprecedented drought afflicting the region since January, leading to intense water scarcity due to climate Impact. Commencing July 30, daily ship crossings will shrink from the typical rainy season average of 36 down to a mere 32.
The Panama Canal’s functioning depends heavily on two man-made lakes – Gatun and Alajuela – for the water needed to operate its lock system. The persistent dry spell thus governs not only the ship count but also the cargo load they can bear.
In a draft set in place on May 30, the local authorities confirm the depth of a vessel submerged underwater at 13.41. This measure appears set to remain for an unknown period.
The ACP elaborated in an official statement, “As part of a worldwide phenomenon, in the last six months, the Canal has experienced an extended dry season with high levels of evaporation, with a high probability of an El Niño condition before the end of this calendar year.”
Typically, Panama experiences a deluge in July, with water reserves starting to deplete between August and September. The past months’ ongoing drought conditions confound experts, including Steven Paton, a proficient in monitoring the climate and oceans of the tropics and director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Physical Monitoring Program.
Speaking to Panama America.com.pa, Paton shared his observation: “This year [the drought] started in March just like in 2015, on top of that we have the drought in Bocas del Toro and I’ve never seen, during an El Niño Phenomenon, when Bocas is dry, it is usually wetter than average.”
Contrary to the norm where El Niño triggers a surge in Caribbean rainfall and dry, heated conditions in the Pacific, both regions find themselves parched this year, reminiscent of the 2015 pattern.
Anticipating drier than usual conditions for 2023, Panama’s authorities embarked on water conservation measures from January 3. A staggering seven-meter drop in Lake Alajuela’s water levels occurred between March 21 and April 21, reported the ACP. Each voyage through the Canal consumes approximately 51 million gallons of water.
These unprecedented constraints pose a significant threat to global trade operations, given the Panama Canal’s pivotal role, particularly in facilitating goods transport between Asian ports and the U.S. east coast. During the fiscal year of 2022, this key maritime route served more than 14,200 ships.
The extent of repercussions this extraordinary drought might hold for global commerce remains shrouded in uncertainty. we can see how climate change affects global trade also. Observing these circumstances, it becomes abundantly clear that climate change is not only an environmental issue but it also has a significant impact on the dynamics of global trade.
EDITOR’S CHOICE | Maritime Transition to Zero Emission: Double Edged Sword in the Global Trade
