Strong El Niño to continue until 2016

MANILA, Philippines - The ongoing El Niño weather phenomenon in the Asia-Pacific region is likely to be one of the strongest since 1998 and will continue until early 2016, with the impact expected to be more severe in certain locations including the Philippines, according to a new United Nations advisory.

The Third Advisory Note on El Niño issued jointly by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES) stated that “the impact of the 2015-2016 El Niño could be even more severe in certain locations, such as the uplands of Cambodia, central and southern India, eastern Indonesia, the central and southern Philippines, central and northeast Thailand.”

The new UN advisory said the powerful El Niño is intensifying in the Asia-Pacific and urges regional cooperation for early warning, in-season mitigation and long-term adaptation strategies to curb climate risk.

While many southeast Asian countries, particularly India and Sri Lanka, expect to face severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall, the report said some Pacific islands – Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu, among others – have been experiencing a serious drought, causing water shortage and food insecurity.

The report warned the people that “one of the most significant impacts is on agriculture, which is a key component of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) for many Pacific countries.”

The current UN climate change conference (COP21) in Paris, France has discussed and addressed the impacts brought by El Niño, and that actions are being taken in some countries as the report also provided key guidance in this regard.

Regional cooperation, the report said, is of great importance, given the transboundary nature of El Niño risks.

Early warning and monitoring, pre- or in-season mitigation, adaptation and response, as well as long-term risk management should be considered to tackle some shared vulnerabilities and risks.