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Panama Canal’s operator is to cut the number of vessels passing through the key waterway due to low rainfall caused by El Ni\u00f1o.<\/b><\/p>\n
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) told shipping firms on Thursday that 32 vessels a day will be able to pass through it from 15 September, compared to 36 currently.<\/p>\n
El Ni\u00f1o, a pattern of periodical sea surface warming, affects weather systems globally. This year is expected to be particularly strong, with its effects made more intense by climate change.<\/p>\n
The shipping industry is already dealing with severe disruptions due to the Iran war causing a large reduction in the number of vessels passing through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
The ACP said the measures were being put in place to preserve service reliability and safeguard water resources for human consumption. <\/p>\n
It added that despite the arrival of the rainy season in Central America and some water-saving measures already being put in place in the canal, additional action was needed “to support the long-term sustainability of transit operations”.<\/p>\n
The new measures will be phased in from 3 September.<\/p>\n
The Panama Canal greatly reduces the time and distance ships have to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. <\/p>\n
About 14,000 ships per year use the artificial waterway – which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.<\/p>\n
As well as being a crucial route for global trade, it is also a key source of income for Panama, bringing in about $3bn (\u00a32.2bn) a year.<\/p>\n