Panama reservoirs are the most affected in the world

In a recent report, the United Nations warned that sediments are a hidden threat to reservoirs. Of 47,403 large reservoirs from all over the world, Panama was found the country to be most affected.

Researchers from the Institute for Water, Environment, and Health of the United Nations University (UNU) analyzed reservoirs with a capacity of at least three million cubic meters of water. They determined that each year the storage loss is 0.36%. 

The report states that Panama is the country that will be most affected by the loss of storage.

" In 2050, the Central American country will have lost 38% of its initial capacity of 9.5 billion cubic meters of water."

Dr. Dumira Perera, one of the co-authors of the study, told EFE this Wednesday that the loss of capacity of the reservoirs due to the accumulation of sediments is "a hidden threat" of which many countries are unaware.

Perera said that the climate crisis has aggravated the situation and that the unusual torrential rains, the increase in deforestation, and the increase in temperatures are some of the factors that are accelerating the accumulation of sediment in the reservoirs.

After Panama, the United States, Uruguay, Suriname, and Canada are the countries that will lose the most capacity by 2050.

Perera pointed out that there are various solutions to deal with the problem. However, each solution depends on the situation and the country.

Source: LA PRENSA