The severe drought in Panama, amplified by the effects of El Nino, has significantly impacted the Panama Canal's operations. The Panama Canal Authority had to reduce the number of ships passing through by half and vessels were limited to carrying 40% less weight. The canal relies on freshwater from nearby lakes for its lock system, which leads to about 52 million gallons of water being used for each ship transit. Panama, despite being a rainy country, historically wasted fresh water, with its citizens using 2.5 times more water than the global average. However, the current crisis is prompting Panamanians to reconsider water conservation as a critical issue.