Plan to Save the Panama Canal Isn't Entirely Without Harm

Construction of new reservoir will force relocation of 2K people
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 17, 2024 9:45 AM CDT
Plan to Save the Panama Canal Isn't Entirely Without Harm
   (Getty Images / SCStock)

You could forgive Ricaurte Vásquez Morales his cellphone addiction. As the New York Times explains, he checks it constantly—to make sure Lake Gatún is registering about 83.5 feet deep. That's the artificial reservoir that forms a crucial part of the Panama Canal system, of which Vásquez Morales is the administrator. The lake fell to critical levels last year during a drought, forcing traffic on the canal to be cut by more than a third. May rains allowed numbers to rebound to a healthy 35 ships per day, "but canal authorities know that this is merely a respite in a new era influenced by climate change and frequent periods of El Niño, when ocean temperatures rise and rainfall decreases," writes Peter S. Goodman.

Officials know they need more water storage—Lake Gatún's water is what makes the canal's lock system work, and it takes more than 50 million gallons to get a single ship through. The path forward isn't without its obstacles. Canal authorities have decided their best bet is to create a second water source by building a dam on the Río Indio. Panama's Supreme Court decided in July to give the canal authority the needed access to the river, effectively kickstarting a six-year, $1.6 billion project. But the new water source will force the relocation of 2,000 largely poor citizens. Canal authorities say they're working to secure compensation and farming opportunities for those impacted, asserting they'll end up better off. Those locals aren't so sure. "They want to relocate us, but we don't think that way," says an 86-year-old resident. "There's no place better." (Read the full piece here.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X