Ruling could permit new reservoir for water-starved Panama Canal
but it could take 6 years

Ruling could permit new reservoir for water-starved Panama Canal

/ 01:05 PM July 09, 2024

Panama Canal

Cargo ships wait to transit the Panama Canal in Panama City, Friday, June 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

PANAMA CITY — A court ruling could permit the construction of a new reservoir to feed the water-starved Panama Canal, but the project might take six years to build, the managers of the waterway said Monday.

The Panama Canal has decreased the maximum number of ships traveling the waterway each day due to a drought that has reduced the supply of fresh water needed to operate the locks.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Panama Canal agency warns water shortage is not over’

FEATURED STORIES

For years, Panama has wanted to build another reservoir to supplement the main supply of water from Lake Gatun, but a 2006 regulation prohibited the waterway from expansion outside its traditional watershed. A recent ruling by Panama’s Supreme Court allowed a re-interpretation of the boundaries, possibly clearing the way for work, canal administrator Ricaurte Vásquez said.

“The fact of having a defined watershed gives the Panama Canal a territorial assurance we did not have before,” Vásquez said.

Article continues after this advertisement

Authorities will still have to consult with and gain acceptance of the project from inhabitants of the new site around the Indio River basin. There are approximately 12,000 people living in about 200 villages in the area.

Article continues after this advertisement

He said that when the estimated $1.6 billion project could start “is going to depend in large measure on the work carried out with communities and inhabitants who live in the areas that could be affected.”

Article continues after this advertisement

Ilya Espino, the assistant canal administrator, believes those talks could take 1 1/2 years. Construction could then take three or four years.

READ: Drought-hit Panama Canal to ease traffic restrictions

Article continues after this advertisement

Not enough rain has fallen to feed the watershed system of rivers and brooks that fill the current reservoir system, whose waters in turn fill the locks that lift ships up over the terrain. The watershed also supplies freshwater to Panama City, home to about half the country’s 4 million people.

The cutback in canal traffic to 31 ships a day from the normal average of 36 to 38 has disrupted global shipping at a time when other major waterways are also having trouble. Attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have unraveled a key global trade route, forcing vessels into longer and more costly journeys around Africa.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: Panama Canal, Water Shortage

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.