Panama Canal Agency Warns Water Shortage Is Not Over
Date
6/29/2024 10:50:54 PM
(MENAFN- AzerNews)
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said Wednesday that the famed
waterway continues to face a water shortage, despite recent rains
alleviating most restrictions imposed following last year's
drought, Azernews reports citing the Phys.
"The waterway continues to face the impact of a prolonged dry
season from this past year that limited the capacity of daily
passages through the canal," the ACP said in a statement. "Despite
the start of the rainy season, the water problem for Panama and its
Canal is not over."
Unlike other waterways such as the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal,
which usually handles about six percent of global maritime trade,
operates with rainwater from the artificial lakes Gatun and
Alajuela.
Due to the meteorological phenomenon known as El Nino this past
year, the drought-stricken canal has had to reduce the number of
shipping vessels that pass through each day, as well as the size of
each ship's draft.
However, the agency said Wednesday it will allow an increase in
a vessel's draft to 14.6 meters (48 feet) starting July 11, and a
maximum of 35 ships will be allowed to pass through per day
beginning August 5.
The Panama Canal, which which usually handles about six percent
of global maritime trade, operates with rainwater from two
artificial lakes.
The ACP, which oversees the canal, also called for alternative
water sources to be identified and storage projects developed.
In the 2023 fiscal year, 511 million tons of cargo passed
through the Panama Canal, generating $3.34 billion in revenue.
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