Ship traffic through the Panama Canal is set to be reduced due to drought in the region caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon. The operator, ACP, announced on Thursday that starting September 3, only up to 34 ships per day would be permitted to transit the waterway. From mid-September, the limit is to be reduced to 32 ships. Currently, 36 ships traverse the link between the Atlantic and the Pacific each day.
Due to the current El Niño, the canal’s catchment area has experienced “lower-than-forecast rainfall,” the ACP explained. Consequently, ship traffic has to be reduced.
Operating the canal’s locks requires large quantities of water, drawn from a catchment area fed by two lakes. Water levels in the lakes have dropped as a result of the “negative effects of the El Niño phenomenon,” the ACP stated.
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This naturally occurring climate phenomenon involves the warming of the water surface in the eastern and central Pacific near the equator, affecting wind, air pressure, and precipitation patterns worldwide. Consequently, the risk of extreme weather events increases. The El Niño phenomenon typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts between nine and twelve months.
The Panama Canal, spanning approximately 80 kilometers, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Five percent of global maritime trade passes through this waterway. Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to retake possession of the canal, which was originally built by the United States. The U.S. constructed the canal and operated it for a long period before transferring control to Panama in 1999.
Author: AFP – jes – Translated by Blackout News
Sources: AFP Press Portal