Since early 2023, the Republic of Panama has experienced one of the driest years on record. Precipitation from the area of the Panama Canal Watershed (PCW), source of 100% of the water used by the Panama Canal for its operations, was below average for all but one of the 8 months that make up Panama’s rainy season (May-December).
Low water levels in Panama Canal due to increasing demand exacerbated by El Niño event
![A photo of the lock system on the Panama Canal. The Canal is split by a long pier with two seperate locks used for transferring ships up the canal.](https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/wp-content/uploads/49667690366_75829cb91c_o.jpg)