The Panama Canal Authority said it was forced to take the measure because of declining water levels in the two artificial lakes that supply the canal, AFP reported.
The number of vessels permitted to transit the waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans will be gradually reduced from 36 per day to 32 by mid-September.
Panama has declared a nationwide emergency over El Nino, a weather pattern developing over the Pacific Ocean that is causing changes worldwide in winds, atmospheric pressure and rainfall while contributing to rising global temperatures.
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This year’s El Nino is expected to be the strongest since comparable records began four decades ago.
The phenomenon has not yet reached its peak, but Central America is already experiencing a severe drought. Honduras and El Salvador have also declared emergencies as a result.
The Panama Canal handles approximately five percent of global maritime trade and about 40 percent of US container traffic.
The canal authority has already introduced other water conservation measures, including reducing the maximum draft, or the depth of a vessel below the waterline, permitted for the largest ships.
In 2023, El Nino forced the Panama Canal Authority to reduce the number of daily ship crossings to 22 vessels.
