Panama Canal eased vessel traffic limits, lowering water levels and affecting Lake Gatún's potable supply, highlighting climate change trade-offs.

The Panama Canal has averted a shipping crisis, but at a cost to drinking water and marine life. Strict limits on vessel traffic last year were eased as conservation measures lowered water levels by just over a foot. The canal recycles water from locks, making it saltier and infiltrating Lake Gatún, Panama's largest source of potable supply. The canal's challenges highlight the trade-offs involved in combating climate change.