During the entire dry season, a daily passage of 24 boats would be maintained

Worst case scenario for Panama Canalwhich would reduce the transit to just 18 ships from February, it seems that this will not happen.

Efforts Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Saving water, combined with the rains of the last weeks, made it possible to increase the daily traffic of ships from 22 to 24 in January, and if the situation does not improve, this measure would be maintained in the dry season.

This information was revealed by John Langman, the executive director of the department ACP project administrationwho said that everything depends on how the weather behaves.

“We are forecasting on the basis of international institutions that announce the change state of the El Niño phenomenonmore or less starting in April, May and June, that we can have rain in time so that those transits don’t go down after 24,” Langman said.

If the rain is late, it is late ACP may have they must apply additional restrictions, the executive has admitted.

Cut to just 18 ships daily crossing through the Channelwas a cause of concern for shipping companies and the logistics industry in the country, as it would have a strong impact on their productivity.

In the usual scenario there are 36 vessels which They cross the interoceanic waterway every dayHowever, due to the drought, this is limited.’

This year’s water crisis was the most serious for the Panama Canal, which already faced similar situations in 2015 and 2018.

Worryingly, drought years like 2023 are expected to occur more frequently in the future.

Lakes Gatún and Alajuela, which supply the Canal with water for operation, also serve to supply drinking water for 60% of the country’s population.

In addition, three water treatment plants that will feed them, such as Sabanitas, Howard and Gamboa, are currently under construction and should be completed in the coming years.

Langman listed other measures that are applied in the short term to they guarantee water for the operation of the Canal.

He mentioned the joint passage of ships through locks, when their size allows it, and the use of larger chambers. small lockss, which require less water.

The second is to conserve as much water as possible Lake Alajuela.

The engineer mentioned that this process is very technical and difficult to explain, but That’s why Alajuela It is practically full, and Lake Gatun remains at a lower level.

On the other hand, a tender is being announced for 14 kilometers of pipelines and water intakes for bringing water from Gamboa to the Miraflores Water Treatment Plant.

“It isolates the supply to the water treatment plant from Miraflores of Cocolí locks, because they are very close, and therefore we can reuse the recycling tubs more often without the effects of salinity in the plant. Miraflores,” said the ACP CEO.

In the medium term, one option is for Canal cooperates with the Government find other sources of water for population consumption.

Among these sources, one could count on Lake Bayano, which would serve for the population of the eastern sector the province of Panama.

There are also other rivers such as Caimito, Parita, Perales, La Villa, Santa María, Mamoní.

“All of them have the capacity to supply water, some already have it, others could give more with some type of water investments,” Langman explained.