Dozens of ships dot both sides of the drought-hit Panama Canal as it maintains restrictions on the crossing of vessels. The measure, prompted by a shortage of rainwater, has congested access to the waterway through which six per cent of the world's maritime trade passes. The canal opened in 1914 after a monumental construction project through dense jungles and mountains, Since then, more than a million vessels have transited through the canal, saving them a lengthy journey around the tip of South America.
