Argentina and Brazil collaborate to try and raise Paraná River water level

Due to droughts, the Paraná River is been at its lowest level since 1989.  This has hampered grain exports from Argentina, which uses the river to transport a large part of its production.

To try to resolve this situation, the governments of Argentina and Brazil are in negotiations to release a gigantic volume of water from the Itaipu dam, with the objective that this water reaches the Paraná River. River exports account for around US$20 billion a year.  On Friday April 17, Argentina’s Foreign Affairs Ministry reported that it reached an agreement with Brazil to increase the flow of the Paraná River by 1,400 meters per second. According to Reuters, the announcement comes after pressure from Argentina for Brazil to help.

The water level in Rosario, an important Argentine port city, is at just 78 centimeters (31 inches), almost five times below the average for this time of year, according to government data. Exporters have lost three feet of cargo capacity on bulk carriers, meaning they are loading up to 7,500 tons less than normal, depending on the vessel.

Belgian dredging company Jan de Nul is carrying out emergency work to increase the draft of the river channel. However, if dryness persists, the water level may continue to decrease more rapidly than the dredging work can keep up with.

Sources: MercoPress and Reuters

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