The canal authority has helped the government pay to provide titles to farmers living in the canal's watershed.

Bank loans would make up the rest, canal authorities say, pointing out that the canal itself would not be put up for collateral.

The canal authority will most likely ask Panama this year to schedule a national referendum on the plan.

Furthermore, the canal authority employs 15 chercheurs de fuite (French: literally "searchers of leaks") who are responsible for finding leaks in the distribution system.

The US have always been here, working for the canal authority or in the military.

"Two Iranian ships crossed through the Suez Canal following permission from the Egyptian armed forces," a source in the canal authority said.

The canal authorities had told a tanker making its way through from the Caribbean coast to moor in Gatún while the situation was assessed.

So the canal authority contacted about 200 potential developers and 33 expressed some interest in the project.

The canal authority advertised once in the Contract Reporter that options to shoreline development were for sale.

So the canal authority and other agencies have also begun community efforts to educate rural Panamanians about the importance of preserving the forest landscape.