By Serkan Arslanalp, Robin Koepke, Alessandra Sozzi, Jasper Verschuur
Around 1,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal each month carrying a total of over 40 million tons of goods—about 5 percent of global maritime trade volumes. But water levels in this vital link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans have fallen to critical lows because of the worst drought in the canal’s 143-year history. Drought restrictions imposed amid insufficient rainfall at the Gatún Lake, which feeds the canal, reduced throughput by some 15 million tons so far this year. Ships have faced an additional six days in transit. The authorities are exploring strategic options to boost the water supply in the canal.