Saving the Panama Canal – level 2

Saving the Panama Canal

10-07-2024 15:00

In 1913, workers flooded Lake Gatun to make the Panama Canal. The canal became an important link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for global business.

But climate change, and especially El Niño, brought one of the driest years recorded for the canal during the rainy season. It is even possible to see trees sticking out from the water. The low water levels mean problems for big ships which want to pass through and this has an impact on global trade. Some ships now have to travel around the Cape of Good Hope or the Suez Canal. Others bid for canal access, which causes delays and higher shipping costs.

It seems that the situation will get even worse in the future because there will probably be even less rain in the area. It is not clear how to solve this problem and if it is even possible because it would cost very much money.

Difficult words: link (something what connects two things), global trade (when countries do business with each other), bid (to offer a certain price for something).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.

What impact does the low water levels in the Panama Canal have on global trade and what potential solutions are being considered to address this issue?

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