A new study found historic droughts could become common for gatún lake, the main source of water for the Panama canal locks.
A new study found historic droughts could become common for gatún lake, the main source of water for the Panama canal locks.
In 2023, Panama experienced one of the worst droughts in its recorded history, and it severely depleted water available to the Panama Canal, so much that it decreased shipping by 30%. A new study projected that those historic water lows could become the new norm if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise.
“If we mitigate emissions and we choose one of the lower emissions pathways, then it really keeps this system pretty stable,” said Samuel Muñoz, lead author of the study and a scientist at Northeastern. “But if we don’t, then these low water levels that are really disruptive now become the norm by the end of the century.”
The canal works by pulling water from freshwater sources such as Gatún Lake, a large man-made lake that also provides drinking water to thousands of residents in nearby Panama City and Colón.
Read More: American Geophysical Union
Photo Credit: neufal54 via Pixabay
