The impact of a record-breaking drought in Panama has spread beyond energy supplies and is now affecting container shipping, a crucial sector of the global freight market that moves everything from campervans to Christmas toys. Sudden downpours in the central American nation may not be enough to mitigate changes to the way trade operates.

Rainfall this wet season — which runs from April to November — has been 41% lower than normal, reducing levels at key reservoirs including Gatun Lake. The 40-mile Panama Canal relies on these water sources to operate a system of locks that allow ships to transit between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. From 36 crossings per day, capacity has already been cut to 25 and will drop to 18 by February.

QOSHE - How Climate Change May Ruin Your Kids’ Christmas - Tim Culpan
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How Climate Change May Ruin Your Kids’ Christmas

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05.12.2023

The impact of a record-breaking drought in Panama has spread beyond energy supplies and is now affecting container shipping, a crucial sector of the global freight market that moves........

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