The Panama Canal Authority has proposed a $1.6 billion project to build a dam and reservoir on the Rio Indio. This aims to secure extra freshwater for the canal’s locks and drinking water supplies in the face of more frequent droughts. Last year was the third driest in the canal’s 110-year history.
Meteorologists forecast more severe droughts and faster water evaporation amid hotter temperatures. The canal accounts for 3.1% of Panama’s GDP and is crucial for U.S. imports from Asia and exports. During the latest drought, vessel traffic had to be restricted.
The new plan could allow up to 15 extra canal transits a day during the dry season. The Authority asserts that the Rio Indio reservoir project is the most comprehensive solution. However, the project would require the relocation of approximately 2,260 people and could escalate conflicts between the canal’s management and local communities.
Panama canal’s new dam proposal
Opinions among locals are divided, with some willing to sell their land and others ready to fight the project. Dilubino Agraje Dominguez, representing the Rio Indio communities, expresses their sentiment: “The countryside, nature, their peace for life, for work is what makes them happy.
You can show them beautiful, modern things, all well-arranged, but it is not the same for the resident who is used to living under his thatched roof, taking his time to go to the mountain and resting at home whichever day he wants…”
An alternative solution is transferring water from an existing reservoir fed by the Bayano River. This proposal, which could avoid relocations, is gaining traction among local communities. However, the Canal Authority previously discarded this option due to higher costs and its location.
Facing a changing climate, Deputy Administrator Ilya Espino de Marotta thinks both projects might be necessary in the long run. If the Rio Indio project wins approval, it could be completed by 2031. The canal encourages shippers to consolidate cargoes and could implement water recycling measures to prepare for the next drought.
As Rodolfo Hernandez from Tres Hermanas sums it up: “We are not against the progress of our country, our country must progress, but it must be according to what is necessary and not harming its people.”
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
