パナマ運河、水不足で通航制限

【パナマＡＦＰ＝時事】パナマ当局は水不足の影響で、太平洋と大西洋を結ぶパナマ運河の通航を制限せざるを得なくなっている。（写真はパナマ市近郊でパナマ運河の閘門を通過する船。）
　パナマ運河庁は今年の渇水期に既に５回、大型船舶の通航を制限している。パナマ運河は世界の海上交通の約６％を占めており、航行する船舶の大半は米国、中国、日本のものだ。
　パナマ運河は海抜２６メートルの人造湖ガトゥン湖を頂点とし、閘門（こうもん、ロック）で仕切られた閘門式運河。船１隻が航行するたびに２億リットルの淡水が海洋に流れ込む。この水源となっているのが、コロンにあるガトゥン湖と、同じく人造湖のアラフエラ湖だ。
　だが、いずれの人造湖も降水量不足で部分的に干上がっている。運河庁によると、３月２１日から４月２１日で、アラフエラ湖の水位は７メートル低下した。
　運河庁の責任者エリック・コルドバ氏はＡＦＰに、通航料が最も高い大型船舶の通過が制限され、収入にも影響が出ていると話した。
　２０２２年度の通航量は１万４０００隻以上で、政府の年間歳入は２５億ドル（約３３００億円）に上った。
　■水資源めぐり地元住民との対立も
　当局が懸念するのは、航路を変更する海運会社が出てくることだ。
　運河庁のホルヘ・キハノ元長官はＡＦＰに、「（運河に）水を供給する新たな貯水池がなければ、運河の発展が危ぶまれる」「新たな水源確保が急務だ」と述べた。
　一方で運河流域は、パナマの人口４３０万人の半数以上にとって水の供給源にもなっている。
　複数の地域で水不足から給水制限が行われており、抗議運動が起きている。
　パナマ市周辺では無秩序な都市化が進んでおり、運河と地元住民の間で水資源をめぐる対立が起こりかねないと専門家は警告する。
　パナマの気象・水文地質学研究所のルス・デカルサディージャ氏は「全国的に雨が少ないが、通常の乾期の範囲内」とした上で、エルニーニョ現象により、下半期も降水量が減少する可能性が高いと話した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/04/27-16:01）

Drought has forced Panama's authorities to reduce shipping traffic in the canal that links the Atlantic and Pacific as a water supply crisis threatens the future of this crucial waterway.
Two artificial lakes that feed the canal in the province of Colon have been depleted by lack of rain.
This Lake Alhajuela has less water every day, Leidin Guevara, 43, who fishes in the lake, told AFP.
The Panamanian Canal Authority (ACP) has limited the largest ships passing through the canal for the fifth time during this drought season.
Some six percent of global maritime shipping passes through the canal, mostly from the United States, China and Japan.
Rain water is the energy source used in the Panama Canal to move ships through locks, up to as much as 26 meters above sea level.
The passage of each boat involves 200 million liters of fresh water flowing into the sea, which makes the Alhajuela and Gatun lakes vital.
According to the ACP, between March 21 and April 21, the Alhajuela level fell by seven meters -- more than 10 percent.
The lack of rains impacts in various ways, firstly in the reduction in our water reserves, Erick Cordoba, the ACP water manager, told AFP.
That affects the canal's business with the largest vessels, which pay the highest fees, prevented from passing through, added Cordoba.
In the 2022 fiscal year more than 14,000 ships carrying 518 million tons of cargo passed through the canal, contributing $2.5 billion to the Panamanian treasury.
- 'Vital to find new water sources' -
Alarm bells were already set off in 2019 when the fresh water supplies dropped to just three billion cubic meters, some way short of the 5.25 billion needed to operate the canal.
Authorities fear that this operational uncertainty could lead some shipping companies to favor other routes, thus heightening the need to find solutions to guarantee the canal's operations over the long term.
Canal administrator Ricaurte Vasquez recently acknowledged to Panamanian website SNIP Noticias that water shortage was the main threat to shipping in the canal.
Without a new reservoir that brings new volumes of water, this situation will remove the Canal's capacity to grow, former administrator Jorge Quijano told AFP.
It is vital to find new water sources, especially faced with the climate change we are seeing, not just in our country but all over the world.
The Panama Canal basin also supplies water to more than half of the country's 4.3 million population.
The shortages have caused water supply problems in several parts of the country, provoking numerous protests.
Experts warn that water conflicts could arise between the canal and local populations given the disorderly urban sprawl developing around Panama City.
We don't want to engage in a philosophical conflict over water for Panamanians or water for international commerce, said Vasquez.
The canal has suffered from a lack of rain as we have had in the whole country, but within the parameters of what is a normal dry period, Luz de Calzadilla, general manager at Panama's meteorology and hydrology institute, told AFP.
However, the El Nino climate phenomenon will likely reduce rainfall in the second half of the year, added De Calzadilla.
The truth is that the Canal administration is working magic to maintain business and fulfill a social responsibility such as drinking water for human consumption.
That is no solace to those facing water shortages on Lake Alhajuela.
This year has been the most difficult I've seen for drought, said Guevara.