Article Reflection No. 86 (1/28/2024)

Article: “Panama Canal Drought Slows Cargo Traffic”

Reflection: 

In The New York Times article “Panama Canal Drought Slows Cargo Traffic”, journalist Nira Rojanasakul reports on the low water levels in Gatún Lake, the body of water necessary for Panama Canal operations. These low water levels, resulting from extreme weather undermining canal infrastructure, increasing temperatures leading to evaporation, and growing water usage by Panama’s booming population, limits the number of ships that can go through the region. The Panama Canal has a significant role in the shipping trade industry: 46% of the container trade between Northeast Asia and the United States’ East Coast rely on it, according to Rojanasakul. The importance of the canal also comes down to efficiency in transporting goods as it “saves thousands of miles on trips that might otherwise need to route around the tip of South America or through the Red Sea” (The New York Times 1). 

In my history class, I learned that the Panama Canal is a chokepoint, or geographical feature whose traffic is brought down to a narrow, small space (a chokepoint does not necessarily have to be on sea, it can also be a highway bridge or valley, according to an AP HUG Quizlet I found online). Chokepoints can have a significant role militarily and in commerce. For example, ambushing an enemy’s forces by making them transgress through this narrow space and, in turn, limiting their movement (I had to remind myself about the different aspects of this term, and saw a Quora response for this). For commerce, chokepoints can slow the flow of goods, potentially harming the global supply chain. With the article’s focus on the Panama Canal, I can’t help but wonder which countries will be affected first by these low-level lake waters. Will developed countries who engage in lots of trade be impacted first? Or will developing countries, potentially more reliant on the trade industry, be impacted first?