Central America is facing a growing climate emergency as an intensifying El Niño brings severe drought, record heat, crop losses and increasing pressure on water supplies across the region.

Panama has declared a national state of emergency, El Salvador has issued its highest-level red alert for meteorological and agricultural drought, and Honduras has placed large portions of the country under drought alerts.

The crisis is unfolding during what should normally be Central America’s rainy season, raising growing concerns about food security, drinking water and agriculture.

It is even beginning to affect one of the world’s most important shipping routes: the Panama Canal.

Panama Declares National Emergency

Panama became the latest country in the region to introduce emergency measures as the effects of El Niño intensify.

The government says the declaration will allow authorities to speed up administrative procedures and prepare programs involving water, housing, health, food and humanitarian assistance.

Officials say 11 river basins are already experiencing water stress.

Panama is dealing with an unusual combination of weather extremes. Some areas have experienced flooding while other parts of the country are struggling with declining rainfall and water shortages.

More than 15,000 people have been affected by flooding in Panama since the beginning of the year.

But the longer-term concern is water.

El Niño Is Already Affecting the Panama Canal

The drought has begun affecting the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes.

Because of declining water availability, the Panama Canal Authority has announced reductions in the number of ships permitted to travel through the canal each day.

Daily vessel transits are expected to fall from 36 to 34 beginning in early September and then to 32 by mid-September.

Approximately 5% of global maritime trade passes through the canal.

Unlike the Suez Canal, ships travelling through Panama depend heavily on freshwater to operate the canal’s lock system.

That means prolonged drought in Panama doesn’t only affect local communities.

It can eventually affect shipping times, transportation costs and supply chains around the world.

El Salvador Declares Nationwide Red Alert

El Salvador is also facing increasingly serious conditions.

The country’s Civil Protection agency has declared a red alert for meteorological and agricultural drought across the entire country.

El Salvador experienced 19 consecutive dry days beginning August 7 and has broken 14 temperature records during August.

Water levels in springs and other sources have fallen while farmers are reporting substantial crop losses.

Agricultural organizations estimate the country’s first basic-grain harvest could suffer losses of approximately 20%.

Corn and beans are particularly important because they are staple foods throughout Central America and are also the primary source of income and food for many rural families.

The Salvadoran government is preparing food assistance and temporary financial support for some vulnerable households.

Honduras Places Large Parts of Country Under Alert

Neighbouring Honduras is experiencing similar conditions.

Authorities have issued red drought alerts in dozens of municipalities, while additional communities are under lower-level warnings.

Some estimates indicate that nearly 80% of Honduras is now covered by some level of drought alert.

Corn and bean crops have already suffered damage in southern and western regions.

Much of Honduras and El Salvador sits within Central America’s Dry Corridor, a region particularly vulnerable to drought and unpredictable rainfall.

Millions of people living within the corridor depend heavily on small-scale agriculture.

When rainfall disappears, the consequences can quickly extend from lost crops to higher food prices, poverty and migration.

Food Security Is Becoming a Major Concern

The United Nations World Food Programme has warned that Central America could experience one of the world’s largest relative increases in food insecurity because of El Niño.

The concern isn’t simply that temperatures are rising.

Farmers are losing crops during critical growing periods, water sources are declining and livestock are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

For families already struggling economically, losing a corn or bean harvest can mean losing both their income and their food supply.

El Niño Could Get Stronger

El Niño occurs when surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific become unusually warm, altering rainfall and weather patterns around the world.

Central America can experience particularly severe effects, including hotter temperatures and prolonged periods without rain.

The current El Niño is expected to continue strengthening in the months ahead.

That means the emergency measures being introduced across Central America may only be the beginning.

For now, governments are trying to protect crops, secure drinking water and prepare vulnerable communities.

But with drought already damaging agriculture and forcing restrictions at the Panama Canal, Central America’s El Niño crisis is no longer something waiting on the horizon. It has already begun.