After a severe drought, rain finally fell on the Panama Canal and its artificial reservoir, Lake Gatún. More ships can now pass through the canal, a crucial global trade route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
This is good news for the shipping industry and the environment.
However, as The New York Times reported, this relief and uptick in ship traffic is only temporary and will not last long because of frequent El Niño periods, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events.
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In the past, the canal allowed approximately 13,000 ships to pass from ocean to ocean. However, with low water levels since October, only 10,000 ships have been able to complete the journey, and many of those had to reduce their cargo loads because of the lack of water.
Lake Gatún is also the source of drinking water for more than half of Panama's population.
The long-term solution being pursued is a Río Indio dam that would serve as an additional reservoir and refill the Panama Canal during droughts. But the problem with this plan is that it would displace at least 2,000 primarily impoverished people and force them to lose their homes and ways to make a living.
Regardless, Panama Canal authorities are moving forward with the six-year, $1.6 million dam project.
"Fortunately, we now have a path forward," Panama Canal CFO Victor Vial said. "That should take care of the next 50 years."
But what about the next 50 years after that and the people whose lives will be uprooted by the project?
Though residents are skeptical, canal authorities insist they will receive compensation and be better off after the relocation.
This story is an extreme example of how droughts and weather changes impact people's lives worldwide.
In other places, millions of people are rationing electricity and water or living under constant water restrictions, while child death rates are also rising, all due to droughts. Much-needed storms give us temporary relief from droughts, yet sustainable solutions are needed to offset the impacts of our overheating planet.
"The past 20 years have been totally different than from the previous 80 years," Vial said. "Forget about 2000 and before, because climate change has, in crescendo, had an impact that's much different."
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