The Panama Canal Authority announced on the 14th local time that it plans to further reduce maritime traffic passing through the waterway due to the impact of El Niño.

According to AFP, the canal authority reduced the daily number of transits from 36 to 32 on the 4th to conserve water.

It plans to further reduce the number to an average of 29.5 ships per day starting in October.

José Ramón Icaza, Panama's Minister for Canal Affairs, said, "We will ensure that the canal operates safely, continuously, efficiently, and profitably."

El Niño is a phenomenon where trade winds weaken, causing temperatures in the equatorial Pacific to rise above normal and disrupting global atmospheric circulation.

With El Niño this year likely to be one of the strongest on record bringing extreme drought, disruptions to the operation of the Panama Canal, which handles 5 percent of global maritime cargo volume, are worsening.

Without the water required to operate the locks that raise and lower ships during entry and exit, the canal cannot function properly.

In 2023, the daily ship transits through the Panama Canal were also reduced from 38 to 22 in the wake of El Niño.

Last month, the Panamanian government declared a national state of emergency due to the drought caused by El Niño.

The Panama Canal, approximately 82 kilometers long and located in the Central American Republic of Panama, is a key logistics route connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)