While borders between Argentina and Paraguay are technically still closed as a result of emergency sanitary measures due to the coronavirus pandemic. walking across the Parana river bed from one country to another is becoming increasingly common as a result of the historical downspout.
With most Argentine ports along the Paraná river unoperational due to the historic downspout, Quequén, Necochea, and Bahía Blanca on the Atlantic coast would have become an alternative way out for agri-food exports had it not been for union strikes.
Argentina Sunday declared a water emergency due to the historic downspout in the Paraná river.
The Paraná River had descended yet another three centimeters over the last 24 hours in front of the former capital of Argentina named after it (1853-1860) for a total of 17 centimeters below sea level.
Paraguay's Lower House Wednesday passed an emergency bill on river navigation and authorized dredging works at the Paraguay, Paraná and Apa rivers as downspouts prevent normal navigation. The document now goes to the Executive Branch for consideration.
A Chinese company entered the competition to manage a section of the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway, joining four European companies seeking to win the concession to deepen the draft and provide maintenance on approximately 1,238 kilometers of the river course beginning in 2021.
Experts say the wildfires in a region that spans Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay – especially the region between the Paraguay, Parana, and Uruguay rivers – have become critical in 2020.
Just over two months after completing a special outflow to increase the level of the drought-stricken Paraná River, the world largest operational hydroelectric dam, Itaipu, located on the border of Brazil with Paraguay, will increase energy production to help sailing along the huge South American water artery.
Due to the Paraná river drought, which affected Argentina’s soy oil-exporting capacity, Cattalini Terminais Marítimos, which handles almost 70% of Brazil’s soy oil exports through its facilities in the port of Paranaguá, predicts a 25% increase in shipments this year.
The world's largest operational hydroelectric dam, Itaipu Plant announced that starting next Monday, May 18, it will open its spillway to help Paraguay and Argentina, which are suffering from a drought and hence having problems transporting their grain harvest.