Editing Panama Canal (section)

==Environmental and ecological consequences==
The Panama Canal, one of the most important [[Choke point|chokepoints]] in global trade, has caused many environmental and ecological problems since it was built and expanded. These problems include [[deforestation]], the spread of [[invasive species]], water and air pollution, and water shortage.

Deforestation in the Panama Canal [[drainage basin]] has been a problem for decades. In 1978, researchers said that "clearing the forest in the [drainage basin] might kill the canal."<ref name="bio">{{Cite journal|last1=Condit|first1=Richard|last2=Robinson|first2=W. Douglas|last3=Ibáñez|first3=Roberto |date=May 2001 |title=The Status of the Panama Canal Watershed and Its Biodiversity at the Beginning of the 21st Century: Long-term ecological studies reveal a diverse flora and fauna near the Panama Canal, harbored within a corridor of forest stretching from the Caribbean to the Pacific, but deforestation, land degradation, erosion, and overhunting remain threats|journal=BioScience|volume=51 |pages=389–398 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0389:TSOTPC]2.0.CO;2 |s2cid=85832166 |doi-access=free}}</ref> By 1985, the forested area had dropped to 30%.<ref name="guard2007">{{Cite news |last=Parker |first=Matthew |date=28 February 2007 |title=Changing course |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/feb/28/water.conservationandendangeredspecies |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240817093154/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/feb/28/water.conservationandendangeredspecies |archive-date=17 August 2024 |access-date=25 August 2023 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> As of 2000, deforestation from human population growth, land degradation, and erosion continued to harm the ecosystem.<ref name="bio" /> Deforestation causes erosion, which raises the bottoms of the [[Gatun Lake|Gatún]] and [[Lake Alajuela|Alajuela]] Lakes and lowers their ability to hold water.<ref name="guard2007" /> These lakes are very important for both canal operations and the local water supply.

The Panama Canal has made it easier for invasive species to move between oceans. When the [[Panama Canal expansion project|canal was expanded in 2016 with the third set of locks]], global trade increased, and so did the spread of [[invasive species]]. These species cling to the ship and move from one place to another, something that without the boats they would not have been able to do.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Muirhead |first1=Jim R. |last2=Minton |first2=Mark S. |last3=Miller |first3=Whitman A. |last4=Ruiz |first4=Gregory M. |date=2015 |title=Projected effects of the Panama Canal expansion on shipping traffic and biological invasions |journal=Diversity and Distributions |language=en |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=75–87 |doi=10.1111/ddi.12260 |issn=1472-4642|doi-access=free |bibcode=2015DivDi..21...75M }}</ref> One example is the [[Asian green mussel]], first found in Caribbean waters in the late 1990s, which has spread through the canal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian Green Mussels |url=https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/mollusc/other-molluscs/asian-green-mussels/ |access-date=2024-12-16 |website=Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission |language=en}}</ref> These invasive species can harm local ecosystems and compete with native species.

Ships passing through the canal regularly pollute the water. For example, in 1986, a crude oil spill east of the Caribbean entrance to the canal killed plants and [[invertebrate]]s in the area.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Jackson |first1=J. B. |last2=Cubit |first2=J. D. |last3=Keller |first3=B. D. |last4=Batista |first4=V. |last5=Burns |first5=K. |last6=Caffey |first6=H. M. |last7=Caldwell |first7=R. L. |last8=Garrity |first8=S. D.|last9=Getter |first9=C. D. |last10=Gonzalez |first10=C. |last11=Guzman |first11=H. M.|last12=Kaufmann |first12=K. W.|last13=Knap |first13=A. H. |last14=Levings |first14=S. C.|last15=Marshall |first15=M. J.|date=1989-01-06 |title=Ecological effects of a major oil spill on panamanian coastal marine communities|journal=Science|volume=243|issue=4887|pages=37–44 |doi=10.1126/science.243.4887.37 |issn=0036-8075 |pmid=17780421|bibcode=1989Sci...243...37J }}</ref> The shipping industry also releases emissions of [[greenhouse gas]]es like [[carbon dioxide]] and [[methane]]. The Panama Canal, as a chokepoint, has a lot of heavy traffic and delays, which leads to burning more fuel and producing more emissions than needed. These emissions are a major concern because they contribute to climate change and increase environmental problems.

The Panama Canal uses a lot of fresh water from the [[Gatun Lake|Gatún Lake]], which is [[Panama City]]'s primary source of potable water. For each ship that passes through, about 200 million liters (52 million gallons) of freshwater are needed. This water use has serious environmental and social impacts. During a drought in 2019, Gatún Lake's water levels dropped to historic lows because so much water was being used for the canal.<ref>{{Citation |last=Roque |first=Fernando |title=Lake Gatun Panama Canal: Machine Learning grouping high vegetable activity regions during the year 2019 droughts |date=2022-02-18 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/engage/coe/article-details/61fc0b580aec1a34e4112df0 |access-date=2024-12-16 |language=en |doi=10.33774/coe-2022-k4gwr}}</ref>