The Panama Canal is not a simple passage between two seas at the same level. Instead, it lifts ships up to a height of 26 meters using a system of locks, which carry them across an artificial lake before lowering them on the other side of the isthmus. This engineering marvel, completed at the start of the 20th century, required a dramatic transformation of the landscape. To create the necessary water level for the canal, engineers built the Gatún Dam on the Chagres River between 1907 and 1913. This dam created Gatún Lake, which at the time was the largest artificial lake in the world. The lake covers about 425 square kilometers—roughly four times the area of Paris—submerging entire villages and vast parts of the surrounding tropical forest. The result is a lake dotted with wooded islands, remnants of the hills that once stood above the water. The canal relies entirely on this freshwater reservoir to operate. Each ship passing through consumes about 202,000 cubic meters of fresh water—equivalent to 200 million liters—during its passage through the locks. With over 14,000 ships transiting the canal annually, the demand for water is immense. Unlike the Suez Canal, which connects two saltwater bodies by simply digging a channel, the Panama Canal depends on a steady supply of fresh water, which must be collected from rainfall in the region. This reliance on natural precipitation makes the canal vulnerable to droughts and weather patterns like El Niño, which can significantly disrupt operations. In 2023-2024, a severe drought caused by El Niño led to a dramatic drop in water levels in the canal. This forced the Panama Canal Authority to reduce the number of ships that could pass through each day, from about 36 to just 22. The reduction in capacity led to a surge in shipping costs, with some companies paying up to $4 million for a priority slot to bypass the backlog. The situation created visible congestion, with ships waiting for days or even weeks to transit. This crisis highlighted the canal's dependence on natural conditions, as the lack of rain disrupted one of the most critical arteries of global trade. Despite these challenges, the Panama Canal remains one of the busiest and most strategic waterways in the world, handling about 5% of global maritime trade. However, the canal’s aging infrastructure and reliance on rainfall pose long-term risks, especially as climate change may increase the frequency of droughts. The Canal Authority has warned that the El Niño phenomenon could persist until 2027, leaving little time for the canal to adapt to a future where water availability is no longer guaranteed. For now, the ebb and flow of rain on the Panamanian hills continues to shape the rhythm of global commerce.