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Two years ago, the world was shocked by the blockage of ships in the Suez Canal. At that time, a cargo ship called the Changci ran aground in the canal, blocking shipping and stranding hundreds of ships for up to six days. Today, however, another shipping artery in the world, the Panama Canal, faces a similar fate. On the sea at the entrance of the canal, countless container ships lined up, and shipping fell into chaos, waiting for up to twenty-one days.
This traffic jam is entirely due to natural causes. This year has been the driest in Panama's history, with water levels dropping sharply and navigable capacity significantly weakening in the canal's channel since mid-July. The number of ships passing through each day has plummeted, and the number of boats waiting in line has increased, eventually turning into a "big traffic jam" of 154 ships.
Since its construction in 1914, the Panama Canal has been an important conduit for world shipping, supporting about 6% of global trade. However, in the event of a drought and the lack of water in the artificial lake, the canal's capacity will be directly affected. There are two main reasons for this, one is that the canal's lock system requires a lot of fresh water, and each large cargo ship that passes through consumes hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of fresh water. When drought strikes, the number of boats passing through must be limited to reduce water consumption. Second, the drop in water level caused the canal to narrow, and the original "four-lane" became "two-lane", making the passage of ships more limited.
The effects of drought are also linked to global warming, which has been exacerbated by rising temperatures in recent years due to climate anomalies and the resurgence of El Niño. All this makes the Panama Canal a key artery of the global economy, and once blocked, it will have a profound impact on the global economy and people's lives.
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