One could forgive Ricaurte Vásquez Morales for his cell phone addiction. New York Times Vásquez Morales explains that he constantly checks the water level to make sure that Lake Gatun, the artificial reservoir that forms a key part of the Panama Canal system, of which Vásquez Morales is the manager, is about 26 meters deep. The lake’s water level fell to critical levels last year during a drought, forcing traffic on the canal to be reduced by more than a third. Rains in May brought the number of ships back up to a healthy 35 a day, “but canal authorities know that this is merely a respite in a new era influenced by climate change and frequent El Niño periods, when sea temperatures rise and rainfall decreases,” writes Peter S. Goodman.
Authorities know they need more water storage—the water from Lake Gatun is what makes the canal’s lock system work, and more than 50 million gallons are needed to get a single ship through. But the road ahead is not without obstacles. Canal authorities have decided their best chance is to create a second water source by building a dam on the Río Indio. Panama’s Supreme Court ruled in July to grant the canal authority the access it needs to the river, effectively launching a six-year, $1.6 billion project. But the new water source will force the relocation of 2,000 mostly poor citizens. Canal authorities say they are working to secure compensation and agricultural opportunities for those affected, and claim they will be better off in the end. Locals aren’t so sure. “They want to relocate us, but we don’t think so,” says one 86-year-old resident. “There is no better place.” (Read the full article here.)
