Why Climate Change Poses an Existential Threat to the Panama Canal

22-08-2024

The Panama Canal, a key global shipping route, is facing serious issues because of long-term drought conditions worsened by climate change. This has led to lower water levels in Lake Gatun, an essential part of the canal’s operation. This situation is prompting discussions on how to ensure the canal’s future functionality.

The Panama Canal, which opened on August 15, 1914, is a remarkable engineering achievement. Stretching 82 kilometers, it allows ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without navigating the lengthy route around South America.
This shortcut saves about 12,600 kilometers on a voyage between New York and San Francisco, making it one of the world's most crucial shipping routes.

Current Situation

Daily Traffic:
1. Average: Around 36 to 38 ships pass through daily.
2. Recent Drop: In December, traffic fell to just 22 ships per day due to a drought causing low water levels in Lake Gatun, an essential reservoir for the canal.
Temporary Improvement:
1. Current Traffic: Restored to about 35 ships a day.
2. Concerns: Experts believe this is a short-term improvement, with climate change threatening the canal’s future.

How the Panama Canal Works?

Lock System:
1. Purpose: The canal uses locks to lift and lower ships because the Pacific Ocean is slightly higher than the Atlantic.
2. Process:
  1. A ship enters the lowest lock chamber.
  2. The lock gate closes, and water from a higher chamber floods the chamber.
  3. Once the water levels are equal, the ship moves to the next chamber.
  4. The process is reversed to lower the ship when moving back.
Water Requirement:
1. Volume: A single ship passage uses over 50 million gallons (about 200 million liters) of water.
2. Comparison: This is more than twice the daily water use of New York City’s 8 million residents.

Threats from Climate Change

Impact of Drought:
1. Water Levels: Lower water levels in Lake Gatun last year led to fewer ships passing through and reduced cargo loads.
2. Salinity Issues: Using ocean water to compensate for lower lake levels increases salinity, affecting Lake Gatun’s role as a drinking water source for more than half of Panama’s population.
Changing Rainfall Patterns:
1. Past vs. Present: Historically, significant rainfall deficits occurred about once every 20 years due to major El Niño events. Recently, such events are becoming more frequent.
2. Future Predictions: As global temperatures rise, extreme rainfall shortages may become even more common.
Steven Paton from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute noted that recent rainfall deficits have no precedent in the past century’s data.

Proposed Solutions

New Water Source:
1. Plan: Construct a $1.6 billion dam on the Rio Indio to provide an additional water source for the canal.
2. Legal Changes: Panama’s Supreme Court recently overturned a law that previously protected the river from such projects.
Controversy:
1. Displacement: Building the dam will displace about 2,000 people, mostly from lower-income communities, who will lose their homes and livelihoods.
2. Local Opposition: Affected residents, like Olegario Hernandez, feel that relocating them will not improve their situation.

Key Facts About the Panama Canal

Overview:
1. Location: An artificial waterway in Panama, connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
2. Length: 82 kilometers long.
3. Purpose: It provides a shortcut for maritime trade, saving about 12,600 kilometers on a trip between New York and San Francisco.
4. Opening: The first ship passed through on August 15, 1914.
Operation:
1. Lock System: The canal uses a system of locks and elevators to move ships between different sea levels since the Pacific Ocean is slightly higher than the Atlantic.
2. Function: Locks are either filled with water to lift ships or emptied to lower them. There are 12 locks in total, supported by artificial lakes and channels.

Isthmus of Panama

Definition: An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger landmasses and separating two bodies of water.
Location: The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America and separates the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Formation: It was formed by tectonic activity pushing the Caribbean plate between the North and South American plates, raising the seafloor.
Note: A strait is a narrow waterway connecting two large bodies of water, such as the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean. Straits are crucial for maritime transport.

Other Important Canals Around the World

Suez Canal:
1. Location: Connects the Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea, separating Asia from Africa.
2. Importance: Provides the shortest maritime route between Europe and regions around the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean.
Kiel Canal:
1. Location: Connects the Baltic Sea with the North Sea.
2. Opened: 1895.
3. Purpose: Helps ships avoid the longer route around the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark.
Corinth Canal:
1. Location: Greece, connects the Corinthian Gulf with the Saronic Gulf.
2. Feature: Known as the world’s narrowest canal.
Kra Isthmus Canal (Thai Canal):
1. Proposed: A planned canal to connect the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand, which would shorten routes between India and China, bypassing the Strait of Malacca.
Great Lakes Seaway Navigation System:
1. Location: United States.
2. Includes: The five Great Lakes, connecting channels, and the St. Lawrence River.
3. Function: Forms one of the longest navigation systems in the world, draining into the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River.

Conclusion:

Climate change poses a serious risk to the Panama Canal by affecting water levels in Lake Gatun and altering rainfall patterns. While temporary fixes are being implemented, such as the potential new dam, the long-term survival of this vital waterway depends on addressing the broader impacts of climate change.