Panama Canal ended 2023 with 30% less rain and no new reservoirs in sight

The year 2023 ended and the Panama Canal reservoir systems recorded a significant rainfall deficit. A 30% decrease in precipitation was reported compared to the historical average and currently, only 50% of the water that is usually collected and protected is stored.

This was confirmed by Gloria Arrocha, meteorologist at the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), in a conversation with this

The lack of rain caused a reduction in the number of ships that use the route, generating long waiting lines for the passage of ships.

It is a hard blow for a Canal that uses fresh water for the passage of ships and that years before had lived under the scheme of going from 36 to 38 ships, thanks to its new locks. But climate change and the lack of a new reservoir are taking their toll on the trade route.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP), trying to decipher why the country does not react. and launch a project to create new water reservoirs.

On January 7,  Panama’s Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (Cciap) made a call to guarantee the future of the country through water.

“The planning and construction of water reservoirs has been a pending task of the State for decades, essential both to guarantee and provide drinking water to the in its usual Sunday message. entire population, and for the operation of the Canal,” the union said.

The board of directors of the ACP recommended to the Executive in September of last year the steps that must be taken to launch a new reservoir: Legal reforms are needed to expand the territory that is considered as the Canal basin and also eliminate the restriction to make reservoirs.

The Government, however, has not made public its position on this vital issue, which is why the Chamber of Commerce emphasized the fact that the current water crisis – aggravated by the El Niño phenomenon – gives no other option. to act with “urgency and vision for the future.”

The month of October 2023 marked a milestone in the climatic history of the Canal. It was the driest in 73 years.

Remember that the phenomenon was declared since June 2023. And according to the World Meteorological Organization ( WMO ), El Niño will be present until April 2024, influencing the patterns that affect the increase in temperatures both on land and in the ocean.

The Panama Canal has experienced its impact up close. “The 2023 rainfall total was 30% below average. This is the third worst year since 1950, only surpassed by 1997 and 2015. Indeed, El Niño has evolved from June until now and is in strong condition. In the coming months, it will be classified as very strong.