The climate phenomenon known as El Nino — and not climate change — was a key driver in low rainfall that disrupted shipping at the Panama Canal last year, scientists said Wednesday. A team of international scientists found that El Nino — a natural warming of the central Pacific that changes weather worldwide — doubled the likelihood of the low precipitation Panama received during last year's rainy season.
Panama on Wednesday unveiled plans for a "dry canal" to move cargo between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans due to low water levels in its century-old maritime channel.Honduras presented an ambitious project for a freight railroad between the Pacific and the Atlantic in February, although it currently lacks the financing to build it.
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Panama on Tuesday inaugurated a new cruise ship terminal at the mouth of the drought-hit Panama Canal, hoping to attract more tourists to the Central American nation."The cruise terminal will generate new tourist routes. attracting more visitors to our country," Cortizo said at an opening ceremony.