Panama Canal to cap ship transits due to El Nino drought
Panama Canal will cut daily transits of ships from September because of low rainfall and amid an intensifying El Nino event.
Due to an El Nino drought, the Panama Canal will reduce the number of ships transiting through the vital waterway starting next month, the canal operator announced on Thursday. The Panama Canal Authority revealed that from September 3, the number of ships allowed to pass through the canal will decrease from 36 to 34, and from September 15, it will further drop to 32.
El Nino, characterized by unusually warm ocean surface temperatures, has led to a severe drought in Panama, despite the country being one of the wettest nations on Earth. Rainfall between May and August was approximately 34% below the historical average for the period, according to the canal operator.
El Nino is known to cause droughts, floods, and wildfires, and experts predict that it will intensify this late fall and early winter, potentially ranking as one of the largest events since 1950. The Panama Canal, which links two oceans and handles about 5% of global maritime trade, relies on rainfall to maintain optimal water levels for ships to pass through.
In 2023-2024, the canal operator had previously cut ship crossings due to severe drought, reducing the daily ship transit from 38 to 22 in 2023. The authority has implemented water conservation measures but now calls for long-term sustainability strategies to bolster the canal's water supply.
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