PANAMA CITY, Rabi'II 13, 1437, January 23, 2016, SPA -- Panama officials are considering a proposal to seed clouds and gather rainwater as the country grapples with a serious drought, according to AP. Canal Authority official Carlos Vargas said Friday that a committee heard the proposal this week but had further questions about costs and outcomes. Panama declared an emergency in August due to a deepening drought blamed on the weather phenomenon known as El Nino. The country has banned using water for recreational activities including upcoming Carnival festivities. So far Canal officials have not contemplated the possibility of limiting the drafting of vessels due to the drought. The waterway has been given priority in water usage. Cloud-seeding is a technique in which chemicals are deployed to stimulate additional precipitation. --SPA 01:00 LOCAL TIME 22:00 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w