By Sameh Selim: Panama Canal problem and solution

Mr. Sameh Selim

 

Panama Canal problem and solution

By Sameh Selim: Member of the United States Press Agency

The Panama Canal is an important strategic location for international navigation between the large Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Work on the canal began in 1902, and it was an engineering feat like a miracle due to the difficulty of the terrain in this vital region, as the part separating the two oceans is a rocky plateau surmounted by a large freshwater lake formed by rainfall because it is located near the equatorial region and five percent of the world’s trade passes through it. However, with climate change in the recent period, rainfall decreased, drought occurred, and the water level in the lake decreased, so the crossing of ships with large drafts and giant loads became very difficult due to the low water level, which necessitated the Panamanian authorities to reduce loads or not cross giant tankers with large draft, which doubled the prices of goods And its delay, and the costs of transportation and marine insurance increased due to the delay and unexpected marine risks as a result of the new maritime transport procedures.

And here we have presented the problem that greatly affects the movement of trade and maritime transport the most beneficiary country from this channel is the United States, as it is the cheap and easy link between the east coast and the west coast in transporting goods, as other countries benefit from it, led by China, Japan, Chile and the ocean islands The guider.

The suggested solutions

First - there are engineering and technical solutions that require time in the long term, such as the withdrawal of salty water from the vicinity closest to the canal by pumping water into giant pipes and emptying it into the fresh water of the canal to maintain the appropriate water level for navigation with all its loads and shapes. The other solution is to search for a new flat land in This area is not rocky to dig a new parallel canal, albeit with a length greater than the Panama Canal.

Secondly - there are geographical and strategic solutions, which are to transport goods through the North Pole through the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean and from there to the eastern coast of the United States and the Suez Canal in transportation to the eastern coast and use the other route across the Pacific Ocean to the ports of the western coast of the United States without approaching Or crossing the Panama Canal, except in the case of tonnages permitted through the canal in its current condition, without resorting to costly engineering solutions at the present time.

Climate challenges and climate change have become a clear matter that must be faced, as nature is now declaring war on the world's population.