Shafaqna English– It has been barely two years since the Panama Canal experienced its most severe drought on record, a crisis that left vessels stranded for weeks at a time and sparked fierce, million‑dollar bidding competitions just to secure a spot for transit. Now, El Niño is once again endangering the very rainfall that sustains this critical waterway.
As El Niño continues to intensify and reservoir levels keep dropping, the shipping industry is preparing itself for a recurrence of the chaos that previously struck this globally vital maritime route – and in response, some vessels are already rerouting around Africa, adding thousands of miles to their journeys.
Source: Reuters