1 day Ago By [email protected] (MENAFN)
Climate Factors and Forecasts Precipitation records indicate that the first three months of 2025 have been wet, meaning rainy, making it the third wettest year compared to 2011 and 2018, the years with the highest rainfall after the Immaculate Conception, recorded in December 2010. However, rainfall distribution has been uneven: for example, January 2025 exceeded rainfall in the basin, February exceeded the historical average, and March was roughly average. “So, what's the answer? The answer is the efficiency, skill, and preparation of the Panama Canal, because what the Panama Canal is also observing, along with other global variables, is the warming of the Gulf of Panama,” Murillo said.
Despite these positive water levels, the Panama Canal continues to manage the resource cautiously due to climate uncertainty. Current conditions indicate the presence of a weak El Niño or a neutral system, but international meteorological models suggest the possibility of an El Niño event toward the end of the year, which could bring droughts to the region. Gatun Lake has reached historic highs with ample rainfall and good water management.
Gatun Lake Reservoir is the Canal's largest reservoir, and its level drops during the dry season due to insufficient rainfall. Strategies for Saving and Efficient use of Water The Panama Canal has maintained water-saving measures implemented since last year. The Neopanamax locks, inaugurated in June 2016, feature reuse basins that save 60% of the water used during transit.
Currently, the use of these recycling tanks conserves or saves approximately one million cubic meters or one billion liters of water per day. This volume of water is equivalent to 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools, if we estimate that 2,500 cubic meters of water fills an Olympic-sized pool. Likewise, this amount of water saved per day is equivalent to approximately 100,000 tanker trucks of 10,000 liters each.
In addition, the Canal has adopted operational strategies to optimize water use, such as cross-filling between the locks of the original Canal. Although this technique requires specific scheduling, it is ready to be implemented should water conditions become more critical. Preparing for Climate Uncertainty The Panama Canal closely monitors global climate indicators, such as sea temperatures in the Gulf of Panama, which this year have remained above typical values, around 27°C.
It is also monitoring the development of a coastal El Niño in Ecuador and Peru, which could affect rainfall patterns in the Canal basin. Aware that water management is key to ensuring efficient vessel transit and the supply of water treatment plants for at least 2 million people, Murillo reiterated the Canal authorities' commitment to efficient and sustainable water resource management. The strategy is clear, he said: save water when you have it, in order to prepare for potential future climate fluctuations.
Gatun Lake reaches historic highs: rainfall and good water management The Challenge of a New Lake Murillo emphasized the importance of building the Río Indio reservoir as an essential solution to guaranteeing Panama's water supply.“If all Panamanians unite, we can achieve the construction of this reservoir, which would be a necessary palliative against the climatic anomalies we are facing,” he explained. Gatún Lake was built between 1910 and 1914 alongside the original Canal, while Alajuela Lake was constructed in 1935.
Since then, no other reservoir has been built, while Canal operations and the population have continued to grow. “This reservoir will allow us to oxygenate the system and ensure that we always have fresh water, fulfilling the Panama Canal's constitutional mandate to provide water in quantity and quality for both the population and vessel traffic,” he said. In conclusion, he emphasized that support from the neighboring western basin to transfer its waters to the Gatún Reservoir would benefit the entire population, both, improving the quality of life, and the country's wealth.
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