Panama Canal Water Levels are a Priority for President Elect, José Raúl Mulino

The incoming president of Panama José Raúl Mulino Quintero, who has a birthday upcoming June 13th, has put water levels in the country’s canal as one of his most important items on his agenda.  He won Sunday’s elections and will take office for a five-year term in July at age 65 when many people are considering retirement.  Mulino said he would try and get lawmakers to approve a law enabling the Panama Canal to build large water reservoirs to combat droughts which have severely restricted traffic on the interoceanic waterway over the past 12 months.  The law, which would grant the waterway permission to operate on land needed for the reservoirs, would be the first approved under his administration, Mulino said.  The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) aims to increase daily slots to 32 vessels next month, stating that full operations will only resume next year after the worst drought in recorded history has hurt business badly at the waterway.

Total transits in April were up 6% month-on-month, further evidence that the worst of the drought restrictions have passed.  This recent drought at the canal not only highlights the vulnerability of our water systems but also underscores the urgent need for innovative and collaborative solutions. To tackle water scarcity challenges effectively, we’ve learned that we must adopt a multifaceted approach that encompasses technology, policy reforms, and community engagement.  “Innovative engineering solutions are pivotal in mitigating the impacts of climate change on water resources. Technological advancements, from cloud seeding to smart irrigation systems, offer promising avenues for conserving and managing water more efficiently.  The incoming Mulino administration to needs to prioritize investments in water infrastructure and enact legislation that promotes water conservation and equitable distribution.