Water levels in Gatun Lake, one of the lakes that feed the Panama Canal's locks, are falling and are expected to hit a historic low in July.
The Panama Canal is a vital shipping route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Photo: Gonzalo Azumendi/Stone RF/Getty
An unprecedented drought is affecting the canal's water supply and forcing authorities to impose surcharges and weight limits on ships passing through, the Panama Canal Authority ( ACP ) said on June 13.
Ships navigate the Panama Canal through a system of locks. The locks use water from several freshwater reservoirs to float the giant cargo ships. However, Panama is experiencing a drought, and the water level in Gatun Lake, one of these reservoirs, is dropping. The lake level was 24.3 meters on June 13. The lake’s average June level over the past five years is 25.6 meters.
Gatun Lake is expected to hit historic lows in July, prompting authorities to implement a number of water-saving measures and impose strict draft restrictions (the distance between the water level and the lowest point of a ship's hull) over the past few months.
The drying up of Gatun Lake also supplies water to the surrounding region, including Panama City. Parts of Central America, including Panama, have suffered severe drought in recent months. The arrival of El Nino could make the situation worse, the ACP warned.
El Nino, a natural phenomenon that occurs in the tropical Pacific Ocean, typically brings warmer-than-average temperatures. This year, El Nino is expected to increase global temperatures and could make 2023 or 2024 the hottest year on record.
The Panama Canal is a vital shipping route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, allowing ships to avoid the dangerous journey around Cape Horn, South America, as they mainly carry goods from Asia to ports on the east coast of the United States.
The Panama Canal was built by the United States from 1904 to 1914. The United States also had sole control of the canal until 1979. The Panamanian government took control of the canal in late 1999.
Thu Thao (According to CNN )
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