Weather & Science
The Panama Canal Averts a Crisis for Now — But at a Cost to Drinking Water
Recycling canal water to combat drought is making potable supplies saltier
The artificial Gatun Lake in the corregimiento of Ciricito, in Colon district, Panama, on Nov. 21, 2023.
Photographer: Walter Hurtado/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The Panama Canal has avoided the worst of a shipping crunch that threatened to upend the global economy — but at a cost to marine life and the Latin American country’s supplies of drinking water.
After imposing strict limits on vessel traffic last year as drought left water levels languishing, the Panama Canal Authority is increasing the number of ships that can cross. Thanks to conservation measures, water levels fell just over a foot for the year through March 12, compared with three feet during the same period of 2023.