{"id":804,"date":"2026-08-24T02:21:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T02:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/24\/unicorn778-world-must-look-to-the-past-to-prepare-for-likely-unprecedented-el-nino-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T02:21:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T02:21:27","slug":"unicorn778-world-must-look-to-the-past-to-prepare-for-likely-unprecedented-el-nino-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/24\/unicorn778-world-must-look-to-the-past-to-prepare-for-likely-unprecedented-el-nino-peluang-terburuk-saat-bermain-slot-online\/","title":{"rendered":"UNICORN778 World must look to the past to prepare for likely unprecedented El Ni\u00f1o Peluang Terburuk Saat Bermain Slot Online"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-326958\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>A potentially historic El Ni\u00f1o is gathering strength and likely to peak between Nov. 2026-Jan. 2027. Latest projections suggest the event could become the strongest ever measured. Countries around the world are bracing for impacts.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Past very strong El Ni\u00f1o events, with record heat, drought, precipitation, floods, and wildfires, have taken a toll in human lives, human health, national and community economies, and ecosystems. Some effects can linger as much as a decade, after these events.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>While some nations, such as Peru and Sri Lanka, are preparing for a record El Ni\u00f1o, many are unable to, with the United Nations now making a $202 million El Ni\u00f1o Joint Anticipatory Action Appeal to aid 22 high-risk countries in Asia, Oceania, Africa and Latin America.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>In this story, experts outline some lessons that can be learned from history\u2019s most powerful past El Ni\u00f1o events and the preparations that will be required to protect vulnerable populations during the potentially unprecedented 2026-27 event.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Countries across the world are bracing for what is increasingly certain to be a historic El Ni\u00f1o, with latest modeling suggesting the 2026-2027 event will be the <a href=\"https:\/\/mail.google.com\/mail\/u\/0\/#inbox\/FMfcgzQhVrKdwNJShMDqFglGWkDNLpDz\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">strongest ever measured<\/a>, possibly breaking records by a considerable and dangerous margin.<\/p>\n<p>International bodies including the World Health Organization (WHO), <a href=\"https:\/\/wmo.int\/news\/media-centre\/wmo-prepare-el-nino\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">World Meteorological Organization<\/a> (WMO) and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfp.org\/news\/world-food-programme-ramps-preparedness-and-response-plans-el-nino-threatens-push-tens\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">World Food Programme<\/a> (WFP) are urging <a href=\"https:\/\/news.un.org\/en\/story\/2026\/07\/1168059\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">nations to prepare<\/a> for extreme weather and ensuing impacts to health, food and energy systems.<\/p>\n<p>Some nations are already acting: Brazil has <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/short-article\/brazil-boosts-budget-and-number-of-firefighters-amid-strong-el-nino-forecast\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">hired record numbers of firefighters<\/a> to tackle expected Amazon blazes. Peru, hit by disastrous rains, floods and landslides in past El Ni\u00f1os, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/sustainability\/cop\/peru-declares-state-emergency-40-country-due-el-nio-rains-2026-07-02\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">declared a state of emergency<\/a> across 40% of the country. Sri Lanka has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/8\/20\/governments-brace-for-historic-el-nino-impacts-on-global-weather-extremes\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">arranged water deliveries<\/a> to nearly 72,000 people across seven districts threatened by drought, and India is focusing on 300 drought-vulnerable districts, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/environment\/india-makes-contingency-plans-weak-monsoon-threatens-some-farm-areas-2026-06-23\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">setting up agricultural contingency plans<\/a> and boosting irrigation provisions. The <a href=\"https:\/\/au.int\/en\/speech\/opening-remarks-he-moses-vilakati-auc-commissioner-arbe-extra-ordinary-specialized-technical\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">African Union<\/a> is calling on member states to implement early-warning systems to protect \u201clives, livelihoods and economies in the months ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326964\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164246\/1-severe-drought-in-Ethio.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326964\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164246\/1-severe-drought-in-Ethio.jpg\" alt=\"A severe drought in Ethiopia during the 2015 El Ni\u00f1o triggered a humanitarian crisis affecting over 10 million people. \" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164246\/1-severe-drought-in-Ethio.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164246\/1-severe-drought-in-Ethio-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164246\/1-severe-drought-in-Ethio-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164246\/1-severe-drought-in-Ethio-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164246\/1-severe-drought-in-Ethio-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldweatherattribution.org\/ethiopia-drought-2015\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">severe drought in Ethiopia<\/a> during the 2015 El Ni\u00f1o triggered a humanitarian crisis affecting over 10 million people. Here, the EU and Oxfam, an NGO, deliver a tanker truckload of urgently needed water. Image by \u00a9EU\/ECHO\/Anouk Delafortrie via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/eu_echo\/26364272135\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Flickr<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/2.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>But many countries aren\u2019t ready: The WFP has made an urgent $202 million <a href=\"https:\/\/openknowledge.fao.org\/items\/e7477e51-6001-4144-bd18-7a002b54ef79\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">El Ni\u00f1o Joint Anticipatory Action Appeal<\/a> to aid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/newsroom\/detail\/bracing-for-el-ni\u00f1o--fao-and-wfp-launch-joint-appeal-to-protect-8.8-million-people-from-extreme-weather-events\/en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">22 high-risk nations<\/a> with safety measures.<\/p>\n<p>Experts warn that as climate change fuels increasingly frequent and severe El Ni\u00f1o events, more and better preparations will be needed. \u201cWe have not learned enough from our experience with previous strong El Ni\u00f1os,\u201d Lachlan McIver, health advisor at the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Office, told Mongabay in an interview. \u201cThat is evidenced by the illnesses and deaths \u2026 recorded in the most recent ones.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>El Ni\u00f1o \u201cis contributing to climate variability and climate extremes, and this makes human existence and performance on this planet more unsafe,\u201d Hans-Otto Poretner, a marine biologist at the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany and former co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group II, told Mongabay in an interview.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326965\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164251\/4-graphic-showing-heightened-water-temperatures-in-the-Central-Pacific.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326965\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164251\/4-graphic-showing-heightened-water-temperatures-in-the-Central-Pacific.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic showing heightened water temperatures in the Central Pacific, known as the ENSO 3.4 region, during the 2015 strong El Ni\u00f1o event. \" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164251\/4-graphic-showing-heightened-water-temperatures-in-the-Central-Pacific.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164251\/4-graphic-showing-heightened-water-temperatures-in-the-Central-Pacific-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164251\/4-graphic-showing-heightened-water-temperatures-in-the-Central-Pacific-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164251\/4-graphic-showing-heightened-water-temperatures-in-the-Central-Pacific-610x343.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A graphic showing heightened water temperatures in the Central Pacific, known as the ENSO 3.4 region, during the 2015 strong El Ni\u00f1o event. El Ni\u00f1o is a naturally occurring event that happens every several years; it occurs when a large quantity of heat stored in the ocean is redistributed to the atmosphere, resulting in extreme weather globally. The world\u2019s oceans store an estimated <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/earth\/explore\/earth-indicators\/ocean-warming\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">90% of the excess heat energy<\/a> trapped in Earth\u2019s climate system by human-emitted greenhouse gases; El Ni\u00f1o temporarily releases some of that heat. Image by NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/noaa_esrl\/24482783746\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Flickr<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Past as prelude to a perilous present <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Since the 1980s, there have been three very strong, so-called \u201cSuper\u201d El Ni\u00f1os: In 1982-83; 1997-98; and 2015-16. Though no two are alike in impacts, every very strong El Ni\u00f1o <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pmel.noaa.gov\/elnino\/impacts-of-el-nino\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">supercharges weather systems<\/a>, bringing heatwaves, intense drought and precipitation, flooding and wildfires. An El Ni\u00f1o is classified as very strong when sea surface temperature anomalies in the Central Pacific Ocean (known technically as the Ni\u00f1o 3.4 region) surpass 2\u00b0 Celsius (3.6\u00b0 Fahrenheit) above the long term average \u2014 a point <a href=\"https:\/\/iri.columbia.edu\/our-expertise\/climate\/forecasts\/enso\/current\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">reached<\/a> by the current event in mid-July.<\/p>\n<p>The world\u2019s oceans store an estimated\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/earth\/explore\/earth-indicators\/ocean-warming\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">90% of the excess heat energy<\/a> trapped in Earth\u2019s climate system by human-emitted greenhouse gases; El Ni\u00f1o redistributes some of that heat to the atmosphere, bringing extreme, often violent weather.<\/p>\n<p>Based on the latest modeling <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov\/products\/analysis_monitoring\/enso_advisory\/ensodisc.shtml\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">forecast on August 13<\/a>, there\u2019s a 90% chance this year\u2019s El Ni\u00f1o (which will likely peak between November and January) will be very strong, while there\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov\/products\/analysis_monitoring\/enso_advisory\/ensodisc.shtml\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">69%<\/a> chance it will surpass all past records. Forecasts are \u201cnothing less than deeply, deeply concerning,\u201d Johan Rockstr\u00f6m, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany told Mongabay in an interview: \u201cWe are already starting to see the impacts of this [event] across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326963\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164242\/Image_3-graph-shows-historical-Nino-3.4.png\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326963\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164242\/Image_3-graph-shows-historical-Nino-3.4.png\" alt=\"This graph shows historical Ni\u00f1o 3.4 Central Pacific Ocean region sea surface temperatures from 1982 forward.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164242\/Image_3-graph-shows-historical-Nino-3.4.png 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164242\/Image_3-graph-shows-historical-Nino-3.4-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164242\/Image_3-graph-shows-historical-Nino-3.4-350x233.png 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164242\/Image_3-graph-shows-historical-Nino-3.4-610x407.png 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This graph shows historical Ni\u00f1o 3.4 Central Pacific Ocean region sea surface temperatures from 1982 forward. Red peak sea surface temperature anomalies surpassing 2\u00b0C (3.6\u00b0F) above the long term average indicate past very strong El Ni\u00f1os in 1982-83, 1997-98, and 2015-16. Though the most recent 2023-24 event is classified as \u201cmoderate\u201d in strength, it still contributed to tipping the world <a href=\"https:\/\/wmo.int\/news\/media-centre\/wmo-confirms-2024-warmest-year-record-about-155degc-above-pre-industrial-level\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">past the 1.5\u00b0C (2.7\u00b0F) atmospheric temperature threshold<\/a> set by the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. The 2026-27 El Ni\u00f1o passed the 2\u00b0C mark in the Central Pacific in mid-July, and sea surface temperatures continue rising. Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/iri.columbia.edu\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">International Research Institute for Climate and Society<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Those <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/08\/12\/climate\/el-nino-early-onset-effects.html?smid=nytcore-android-share\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">early impacts<\/a> include drought in Southeast Asia which has delayed the rice harvest, while parts of India still await the annual monsoon\u2019s arrival. Drought also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/aug\/21\/panama-canal-reduce-shipping-el-nino-drought\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">threatens passage through the Panama Canal<\/a>, and rainfall is suppressed in Kenya and Ethiopia.<\/p>\n<p>Rapidly intensifying climate change and stronger El Ni\u00f1os are \u201cno longer something that\u2019s happening sometime in the future, and it\u2019s not something that\u2019s happening far away,\u201d Rockstr\u00f6m said. \u201cIt\u2019s hitting all of us, whether you\u2019re sitting in a rich part of the planet in a very modern urban area, or whether you are in a poor country, out in a rural area.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The message coming from experts is loud and clear: Nations, communities and households need to prepare for surprising, extreme, potentially dangerous weather in the coming months.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Food systems under strain<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To see what happens in an unprepared world, one need only look back to 1877-1878, before formal records were kept, when one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/repository.library.noaa.gov\/view\/noaa\/46581\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">strongest El Ni\u00f1os known<\/a> resulted in a catastrophic wave of drought that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aip.org\/inside-science\/historys-greatest-el-nino-may-have-caused-severe-19th-century-famine\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">triggered famine<\/a> across Asia, Africa and <a href=\"http:\/\/www2.dgf.uchile.cl\/ACT19\/COMUNICACIONES\/Revistas\/aceetal08.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">South America<\/a>. An estimated 50 million people died.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately for people today, that El Ni\u00f1o struck a very different world: It had no warning or time to prepare. Today, El Ni\u00f1os are entirely predictable with the WMO first warning of a possible strong or very strong event back in May.<\/p>\n<p>Fiona Clare Williamson, a historian at Singapore Management University who studies El Ni\u00f1o impacts, told Mongabay that the deadly 1877-78 event hit Asia particularly hard with failed harvests and drought causing \u201ccascading effects\u201d like water shortages and pollution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou had a situation of less resilience then. Today, we have better systems in place, especially in the global north, to manage these things,\u201d she added. \u201cBut in developing countries and in rural areas, you\u2019re still going to have a lot of the same problems.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326966\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164256\/5-humanitarian-response-in-Ethiopia.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326966\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164256\/5-humanitarian-response-in-Ethiopia.jpg\" alt=\"The 2015-16 El Ni\u00f1o triggered a massive humanitarian response in Ethiopia as 10 million people were affected by drought. \" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164256\/5-humanitarian-response-in-Ethiopia.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164256\/5-humanitarian-response-in-Ethiopia-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164256\/5-humanitarian-response-in-Ethiopia-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164256\/5-humanitarian-response-in-Ethiopia-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164256\/5-humanitarian-response-in-Ethiopia-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The 2015-16 El Ni\u00f1o triggered a massive humanitarian response in Ethiopia as <a href=\"https:\/\/cdkn.org\/resource\/science-summary-drought-ethiopia-2015\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10 million people were affected by drought<\/a>. It\u2019s likely similar responses will be needed during the current event, with massive food shipments required to nations hardest hit by crop failures. Cuts in US AID and EU development funding could limit the world\u2019s El Ni\u00f1o response. Image by EU\/ECHO\/Anouk Delafortrie via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/eu_echo\/26271741762\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Flickr<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/2.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC-ND 2.0<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Food supplies remain a major concern. The U.N. WFP warns that the 2026-27 event could push an additional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/environment\/strong-el-nio-could-push-49-million-more-people-into-acute-hunger-un-agency-says-2026-08-05\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">49 million people<\/a> into acute food insecurity in 45 nations, with southern Africa and Central America hit hardest.<\/p>\n<p>A decade ago, the 2015-16 El Ni\u00f1o impacted around 60 million people already affected by food insecurity. Some 36 million people in eastern and southern Africa were impacted by a prolonged drought that devastated crops and killed off livestock.<\/p>\n<p>That drought led to other water-related effects, with low river levels reducing hydropower output in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia, and triggering a national crisis in multiple countries. This summer\u2019s record European Union drought has already shuttered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2026\/08\/12\/europe-heat-drought-nuclear-power.html\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">nuclear plants<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, professor of climate change, food systems &amp; health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, underlines a crucial lesson: El Ni\u00f1os not only bring hunger, \u201cthey cascade to energy, water security, human health and the environment,\u201d he said in a Mongabay interview.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_327036\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-327036\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/23204740\/0306.anoph-gambiae.600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1536\" height=\"904\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Anopheles gambiae mosquito, which transmits malaria in the Ethiopian highlands. Malaria outbreaks are strongly linked to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/chronicle\/article\/climate-change-and-malaria-complex-relationship\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">climate<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/malariajournal.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12936-023-04621-3\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Research<\/a> finds that malaria outbreaks in Ethiopia often follow El Ni\u00f1o events. Image by: Dan Salaman, London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Acute and lasting health and economic harm<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Strong El Ni\u00f1o events have both immediate and long-term effects on human health due to heatwaves and other extreme weather, air pollution triggered by wildfires, malnutrition due to drought, along with lack of clean water, Benjamin Horton, dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong, told Mongabay in an interview.<\/p>\n<p>Though recent mortality has been far lower than the 1877-78 event, the 1982-83 El Ni\u00f1o directly caused an estimated 2,000 deaths; the 1997-98 event killed approximately 23,000; and the 2015-16 event more than 7,000 people. These figures do not account for the suffering of millions who contracted disease, were made food and water insecure, or lost their homes and livelihoods.<\/p>\n<p>Drastic changes in rainfall amounts can trigger and amplify disease. The <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6374399\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">2015-16 event\u2019s<\/a> wet, above-average rainfall in some locales was linked to increases in plague, Rift valley fever, and hantavirus; while chikungunya and dengue emerged in areas hit by high temperatures and drought, said Assaf Anyamba, senior scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and a professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in the U.S., in a Mongabay interview.<\/p>\n<p>The current El Ni\u00f1o also brings concern over climate change-intensified diseases, such as outbreaks of cholera, yellow fever, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-025-63655-0\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">dengue<\/a>, and malaria, according to Francisco Luquero, head of High Impact Outbreaks at Gavi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe greatest risks are likely where extreme rainfall, flooding, drought or displacement intersect with existing disease transmission,\u201d Luquero wrote in an email to Mongabay. A very strong El Ni\u00f1o could also increase the need for emergency vaccination responses, he added, placing strain on global vaccine stockpiles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor cholera, this could place additional pressure on an already constrained global vaccine supply and increase the resources needed to respond effectively to outbreaks,\u201d he said. It\u2019s also possible that the chaos brought by the El Ni\u00f1o could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenewhumanitarian.org\/news\/2026\/05\/22\/ebola-drc-aid-reforms-el-nino-africa-cheat-sheet\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">complicate the response<\/a> to the near record ebola outbreak sweeping the Democratic Republic of Congo.<\/p>\n<p>Another concern is record heat that strikes unprepared cities with vulnerable populations: Global temperatures ratcheted up by climate change, combined with\u00a0 \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/08\/urban-heat-islands-have-solutions-many-tropical-cities-cant-afford-them\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">urban heat island effects<\/a>, along with hotter El Ni\u00f1o conditions could raise the <a href=\"https:\/\/agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1029\/2024JD042446\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">likelihood of very dangerous heat events<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326970\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164316\/10-Heat-map-showing-land-surface-temperatures.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326970\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164316\/10-Heat-map-showing-land-surface-temperatures.jpg\" alt=\"Heat map showing land surface temperatures across Europe during a June 2026 heatwave. \" width=\"1365\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164316\/10-Heat-map-showing-land-surface-temperatures.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164316\/10-Heat-map-showing-land-surface-temperatures-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164316\/10-Heat-map-showing-land-surface-temperatures-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164316\/10-Heat-map-showing-land-surface-temperatures-610x458.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1365px) 100vw, 1365px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heat map showing land surface temperatures across Europe during a June 2026 heatwave. The intense heatwaves already seen this year could be amplified as El Ni\u00f1o strengthens. In 2023, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-024-03186-1\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">estimated 47,000 people died<\/a> due to heat in European countries, in 2024 that figure <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-025-03954-7\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">reached more than 62,000<\/a>; both were El Ni\u00f1o years. Europe\u2019s June 2026 heatwave is already <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2026\/07\/28\/what-do-the-numbers-tell-us-about-europes-heatwave\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">estimated to have killed<\/a> more than 10,000 people, with one study estimating double that <a href=\"https:\/\/zenodo.org\/records\/21083733\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">number<\/a>. The mortality potential of the likely record El Ni\u00f1o now unfolding hasn\u2019t been estimated. Image by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esa.int\/ESA_Multimedia\/Images\/2026\/06\/Europe_feels_the_heat_beneath_our_feet\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">European Space Agency<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Many of these impacts could linger long after El Ni\u00f1o fades. Horton and his team <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41558-025-02534-4\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">published a paper<\/a> earlier this year finding that the health impacts of the 1982-83 and 1997-98 events continued for years afterwards, reducing life expectancy in affected countries.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe impact of a big El Ni\u00f1o on life expectancy can stretch over a decade,\u201d Horton said. His team wrote that intensifying El Ni\u00f1os represent an \u201cunderrecognized and enduring threat to human health and socio-economic stability.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These lasting health impacts also contribute to lingering financial impacts. In a 2023 paper, Christopher Callahan, a climate scientist\u00a0at Indiana University, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.adf2983\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">estimated<\/a> that the 1982-83 El Ni\u00f1o led to losses of $4.1 trillion, and in 1997-98 to $5.7 trillion. A separate analysis found $3.9 trillion in losses tied to the 2015-16 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41467-023-41551-9\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">very strong El Ni\u00f1o<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Economic growth reductions also linger after an event, Callahan told Mongabay in an interview, and they can be linked to El Ni\u00f1o-strengthened weather that damages critical infrastructure, disrupts agriculture and fisheries, and degrades long-term public health.<\/p>\n<p>Experts are warning of potentially widespread <a href=\"https:\/\/eciu.net\/media\/press-releases\/el-nino-heat-stress-risk-to-british-food-rice-coffee-and-chocolate-grown-by-foreign-farmers-analysis\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">impacts<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-severe-el-nino-could-threaten-something-essential-to-half-of-humanity-rice-285816\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">rice<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/vespertool.com\/news\/el-nino-risk-reshapes-sugars-2026-27-supply-outlook\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">sugar<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spglobal.com\/sustainable1\/en\/insights\/research-reports\/brewing-risks-cocoa-coffee-climate-risks\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">coffee and cocoa<\/a> supply chains due to the current El Ni\u00f1o. That could cause a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/business\/2026\/jul\/12\/super-el-nino-severe-shock-global-food-prices-lasting-into-2028-economists-warn\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">global price shock<\/a>, hitting growers, intermediaries and consumers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur hypothesis is that all of these different pressures on people and their economies are not immediately recovered and tend to produce these longer-term reductions,\u201d Callahan said in a Mongabay interview. \u201cIt suggests that these events are not merely one-off shocks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Experts also note that El Ni\u00f1o impacts don\u2019t happen in a vacuum: In 2026-27 they\u2019ll be heaped atop the high prices and hardships brought by synthetic fertilizer and oil shortages as a result of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, grain shortages due to the Ukraine-Russia war; and near total loss of <a href=\"https:\/\/nation.africa\/kenya\/climate\/aid-cuts-raise-fears-of-humanitarian-crisis-as-el-ni\u00f1o-looms-5541078\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">U.S. AID resources<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/concordeurope.org\/2026\/04\/09\/the-eu-sails-away-from-international-cooperation-with-the-biggest-aid-cuts-in-a-decade\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">deep cuts<\/a> to EU development programs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326967\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164302\/7-diver-swims-across-bleached-coral-in-Fiji.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326967\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164302\/7-diver-swims-across-bleached-coral-in-Fiji.jpg\" alt=\"A diver swims across bleached coral in Fiji. The first recorded global bleaching event occurred in 1997-98, and was tied to a strong El Ni\u00f1o. The 2015-16 strong El Ni\u00f1o led to bleaching of 70% coral reefs. Severe bleaching is very likely to be triggered by the 2026-27 event. Image by The Ocean Agency \/ Ocean Image Bank\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164302\/7-diver-swims-across-bleached-coral-in-Fiji.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164302\/7-diver-swims-across-bleached-coral-in-Fiji-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164302\/7-diver-swims-across-bleached-coral-in-Fiji-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164302\/7-diver-swims-across-bleached-coral-in-Fiji-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164302\/7-diver-swims-across-bleached-coral-in-Fiji-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A diver swims across bleached coral in Fiji. The first recorded global bleaching event occurred in 1997-98, and was tied to a strong El Ni\u00f1o. The 2015-16 strong El Ni\u00f1o led to <a href=\"https:\/\/coralreefwatch.noaa.gov\/satellite\/analyses_guidance\/global_coral_bleaching_2014-17_status.php\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">bleaching of 70% coral reefs<\/a>. Severe bleaching is very likely to be triggered by the 2026-27 event. Image by The Ocean Agency \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theoceanagency\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Ocean Image Bank<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Ecosystems at risk<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While human impacts generally get the headlines, climate change-fueled El Ni\u00f1os also present a growing threat to ecosystems. The 1982-83 El Ni\u00f1o triggered mass coral bleaching in portions of the Pacific Ocean, and the first planetwide bleaching occurred during the <a href=\"https:\/\/coralreefs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/ISRS-Statement-2-Coral-Bleaching-in-1997-98.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">1997-98 event<\/a> which killed off 15-20% of the <a href=\"https:\/\/coralreefwatch.noaa.gov\/satellite\/analyses_guidance\/enso_bleaching_97-99_ag_20140507.php\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">world\u2019s reefs<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was correctly portrayed then as an ecological disaster,\u201d Rockstr\u00f6m said. El Ni\u00f1o was also linked to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/understanding-climate\/unprecedented-3-years-global-coral-bleaching-2014%E2%80%932017\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">global bleaching event<\/a> in 2015-16 that pushed 75% of tropical reefs above the bleaching threshold. The 2023-24 El Ni\u00f1o is regarded as the <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00338-026-02850-x\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">most extensive and intense ever recorded<\/a>. Reefs have had almost no time to recover since, and it seems likely the 2026-27 event will again cause massive bleaching.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are not far away from losing the richest marine ecosystem on the planet because of these human-reinforced mass bleaching events caused by these El Ni\u00f1o events,\u201d Rockstr\u00f6m said. \u201cIt\u2019s part of the same original problem, namely that we\u2019re turning up the global mean surface temperature on Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Damage to reefs has knock-on effects on marine life, food security, shoreline protection, and local economies based on tourism and fisheries. \u201cIt is a big ecological and economic and humanitarian problem when coral reefs have significant mortality,\u201d said Helen Fox, director of Conservation Science with the Coral Reef Alliance, in a Mongabay interview.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326968\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164306\/8-Remnants-of-an-Amazon-fire-in-Acre-State.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326968\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164306\/8-Remnants-of-an-Amazon-fire-in-Acre-State.jpg\" alt=\"Remnants of an Amazon fire in Acre State, Brazil. El Ni\u00f1o is linked to drier conditions in the Amazon and to expansive fires there, but such fires would not be occurring but for decades of escalating global warming which has regularly brought drought to the biome. Image by Victor Moriyama \/ Climate Visuals (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)\" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164306\/8-Remnants-of-an-Amazon-fire-in-Acre-State.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164306\/8-Remnants-of-an-Amazon-fire-in-Acre-State-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164306\/8-Remnants-of-an-Amazon-fire-in-Acre-State-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164306\/8-Remnants-of-an-Amazon-fire-in-Acre-State-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164306\/8-Remnants-of-an-Amazon-fire-in-Acre-State-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Remnants of an Amazon fire in Acre State, Brazil. El Ni\u00f1o is linked to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rainforest-arcc.org\/blog\/el-nino-amazon-2026\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">drier conditions<\/a> in the Amazon and to expansive fires there, but such fires would not be occurring but for decades of escalating global warming which has regularly brought drought to the biome. Image by Victor Moriyama \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/cutt.ly\/1yi5GoSU\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Climate Visuals<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC-ND 4.0<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Conservationists are also warning that the current El Ni\u00f1o poses a serious threat to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ifaw.org\/press-releases\/el-nino-threatens-catastrophic-impacts-wildlife-communities\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">embattled terrestrial ecosystems<\/a>. The <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/short-article\/2025\/10\/amazon-rainforest-hits-record-carbon-emissions-from-2024-forest-fires\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">2023-24 El Ni\u00f1o<\/a>, for example, led to one of the most severe droughts in the Amazon biome, feeding fires that ripped through millions of hectares of rainforest, devastating wildlife.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStronger El Ni\u00f1os inducing severe droughts really push the Amazon even closer to the [rainforest to savanna transition] tipping point,\u201d Carlos Nobre, with the University of S\u00e3o Paulo and one of Brazil\u2019s leading climate scientists, told Mongabay in an interview.\u00a0He anticipates this El Ni\u00f1o triggering more drought and fire.<\/p>\n<p>Research shows that El Ni\u00f1o-driven drought not only leads to tree mortality but also has a lingering effect on forest ecosystems <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43247-026-03597-7\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">lasting several years<\/a>, inducing stress and requiring time for forest recovery. It can also temporarily <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/tropical-forests-can-stop-acting-as-carbon-sinks-during-el-nino-says-research-212910\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">convert tropical forests<\/a> from acting as carbon sinks into being carbon sources, worsening climate change.<\/p>\n<p>The UN notes that global funding to protect global ecosystems from extreme climate events has so far <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unep.org\/resources\/adaptation-gap-report-2025\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">fallen well short<\/a> of what\u2019s needed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326971\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164321\/11-Drought-in-Ethiopia-during-the-2015-16-El-Nino.jpg\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326971\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164321\/11-Drought-in-Ethiopia-during-the-2015-16-El-Nino.jpg\" alt=\"Drought in Ethiopia during the 2015-16 El Ni\u00f1o. Researchers have traced the effect of El Ni\u00f1o on conflict. A 2011 paper found the fingerprint of El Ni\u00f1o in 21% of civil conflicts since the 1950s. A paper published this year found that drought and drier conditions raise the risk of conflict. Image by Water Alternatives via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) \" width=\"1536\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164321\/11-Drought-in-Ethiopia-during-the-2015-16-El-Nino.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164321\/11-Drought-in-Ethiopia-during-the-2015-16-El-Nino-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164321\/11-Drought-in-Ethiopia-during-the-2015-16-El-Nino-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164321\/11-Drought-in-Ethiopia-during-the-2015-16-El-Nino-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164321\/11-Drought-in-Ethiopia-during-the-2015-16-El-Nino-610x407.jpg 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Drought in Ethiopia during the 2015-16 El Ni\u00f1o. Researchers have traced the effect of El Ni\u00f1o on conflict. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nature10311\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">2011 paper<\/a> found the fingerprint of El Ni\u00f1o in 21% of civil conflicts since the 1950s. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pnas.org\/doi\/10.1073\/pnas.2532935123\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">paper<\/a> published this year found that drought and drier conditions raise the risk of conflict. Image by Water Alternatives via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/water_alternatives\/44511101780\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Flickr<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/2.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC 2.0<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Lessons from the past <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Analyzing and understanding the health and economic impacts that past very strong El Ni\u00f1os have wrought is essential to humanity\u2019s ongoing learning and adaptation. Experts underline that impacts can be successfully confronted with the right preparation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis coming El Ni\u00f1o is predicted to be a very strong one,\u201d McIver with the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Office said. \u201cSo we need to anticipate and prepare to the best of our ability for some of the worst health impacts that previous strong El Ni\u00f1os have brought.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To start with, nobody needs to die in a heatwave said, Jan Semenza, a public health expert at Sweden\u2019s Ume\u00e5 University. That\u2019s \u201centirely preventable if you do the right thing,\u201d he said. This includes proactive community <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/europe\/news\/item\/02-06-2026-strengthening-heat-health-action-plans-to-protect-public-health--with-who-guidance\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">heat-health action plans<\/a> targeting those most at risk, while also adapting urban infrastructure to reduce temperatures. It\u2019s known that the elderly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.psu.edu\/news\/health-and-human-development\/story\/older-women-more-vulnerable-heat-their-male-peers-researchers\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">particularly older women<\/a>, socially isolated people, and outdoor workers are among the most vulnerable, and that\u2019s where social and medical services need to focus.<\/p>\n<p>Other health impacts like disease can be mitigated as well, Luquero added. \u201cThe extent to which communities are affected depends largely on their level of preparedness, resilience, and access to effective public health interventions,\u201d Luquero wrote. \u201cCountries should also identify locations at highest risk and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene measures <em>before<\/em> extreme weather occurs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Experts emphasize the need to support vulnerable communities, develop early warning systems, improve medical laboratory capacity, and put response teams at the ready as the El Ni\u00f1o advances. Mosquito controls and vaccination stockpiling are needed too in at-risk areas.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_326962\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164238\/image_2a-ssta-1.daily_.current.png\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-326962\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164238\/image_2a-ssta-1.daily_.current.png\" alt=\"Graphic showing sea surface temperature anomalies as of August 16, 2026. Note the band of extreme surface heat stretching from the central Pacific Ocean extending eastward to the coast of South America, a strong signal of one of the most rapidly developing El Ni\u00f1os on record. Image courtesy of NOAA.\" width=\"1787\" height=\"1054\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164238\/image_2a-ssta-1.daily_.current.png 1787w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164238\/image_2a-ssta-1.daily_.current-768x453.png 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164238\/image_2a-ssta-1.daily_.current-1536x906.png 1536w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164238\/image_2a-ssta-1.daily_.current-1200x708.png 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/08\/21164238\/image_2a-ssta-1.daily_.current-610x360.png 610w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1787px) 100vw, 1787px\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Graphic showing sea surface temperature anomalies as of August 16, 2026. Note the band of extreme surface heat stretching from the central Pacific Ocean extending eastward to the coast of South America, a strong signal of one of the most rapidly developing El Ni\u00f1os on record. Image courtesy of NOAA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mabhaudhi, a professor of climate change, noted that many <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-super-el-nino-is-coming-5-hard-won-lessons-the-world-can-learn-from-africa-286294\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">African countries have learned to deal with drought<\/a> from past events, and are working to improve irrigation, switch to drought resistant crops, and provide support to farmers. Though, he added, preparations still need to account for the risk of cascading threats to energy and water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone is focused on water and drought and thinking about food and agriculture, but [El Ni\u00f1o has] much broader effects on energy, the environment, and health,\u201d he said. \u201cIdeally, you want an integrated cross-sectoral response that considers the preparedness of all those sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Rockstr\u00f6m, the potential for an off the charts El Ni\u00f1o serves not only as an urgent call to prepare, but also to urgently address climate change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat this year\u2019s El Ni\u00f1o should be telling every political leader loud and clear is that we\u2019ve reached the end point of a fossil fuel-driven global economy,\u201d he said. \u201cTake this El Ni\u00f1o year as a warning of an example of the world that we\u2019re heading towards, not in 100 years\u2019 time, not in 50 years\u2019 time, but in the next 10 years. [Without action] it will just continue to get worse.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Banner image:<\/strong> An Indigenous man walks on a dried-up tributary of the Angat river in the Philippines. Rising temperatures and El Ni\u00f1o conditions have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.philstar.com\/headlines\/2026\/08\/16\/2549667\/angat-dam-level-rises-water-allocation-unchanged\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">impacted the level of the Angat Dam<\/a>, which supplies water to the capital city of Manila. Image by Gigie Cruz\/GHHIN-EJN Extreme Heat Photo Contest 2025 via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/climatecentre\/55084445376\/in\/photolist-2qgZDLm-HVZ2PB-4zgC9v-MxpHLR-2bijDcV-2acxY9o-HPAqri-2g1Y37m-2rWnQfo-zF8mM1-2bijZJB-2rDcoTB-2s2EL6V-2rDckLJ-6RuyYe-2qgtdKR-7xNgcK-2rDcnNz-2s2CZLf-7xN9Mz-2rDcm4T-2s2CE9Z-BYUieT-2s1HdXQ-CLK3y1-2s2zLSc-2s2ELRs-2s2363q-2si8tyd-6RuyWk-7v8QEK-CuaYVQ-2s249FY-2s6XxYT-2s22QMk-2s27Jfe-2s3mK4X-2s6dz86-2s231Yi-2s29CYF-2s316Gj-2s68h6F-2s5TVop-2s5RAUe-2s1Xhgb-2s1zLv2-2rVCbuQ-2s51uFr-2s1EeFL-2s4A74t\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Flickr<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/deed.en\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">CC BY-NC-ND 4.0<\/a>).<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"cVfl9SuS35\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/08\/six-things-to-know-about-asias-heatwave-and-the-health-impacts\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Six things to know about Asia\u2019s heatwave and the health impacts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cSix things to know about Asia\u2019s heatwave and the health impacts\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/08\/six-things-to-know-about-asias-heatwave-and-the-health-impacts\/embed\/#?secret=fUQURvKJfj#?secret=cVfl9SuS35\" data-secret=\"cVfl9SuS35\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"HfyfxvJ8y4\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/04\/tropics-take-the-brunt-as-hotter-oceans-drive-large-scale-humid-heat-waves-study\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">Tropics take the brunt as hotter oceans drive large-scale humid heat waves: Study<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cTropics take the brunt as hotter oceans drive large-scale humid heat waves: Study\u201d \u2014 Conservation news\" src=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2026\/04\/tropics-take-the-brunt-as-hotter-oceans-drive-large-scale-humid-heat-waves-study\/embed\/#?secret=0dPT8JS2hv#?secret=HfyfxvJ8y4\" data-secret=\"HfyfxvJ8y4\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Citations:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Anyamba,\u00a0A., Chretien,\u00a0J., Britch,\u00a0S.\u00a0C., Soebiyanto,\u00a0R.\u00a0P., Small,\u00a0J.\u00a0L., Jepsen,\u00a0R., \u2026 Linthicum,\u00a0K.\u00a0J. (2019). Global disease outbreaks associated with the 2015\u20132016 El Ni\u00f1o event.\u00a0<em>Scientific Reports<\/em>,\u00a0<em>9<\/em>(1). doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-018-38034-z\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1038\/s41598-018-38034-z<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Tian,\u00a0Y., Xu,\u00a0Y., Liang,\u00a0Y., Zhou,\u00a0Z., Susong,\u00a0K.\u00a0M., Chen,\u00a0Y., \u2026 Tian,\u00a0H. (2025). Rising dengue risk with increasing el ni\u00f1o\u2013southern oscillation amplitude and teleconnections.\u00a0<em>Nature Communications<\/em>,\u00a0<em>16<\/em>(1). doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-025-63655-0\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1038\/s41467-025-63655-0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Zhang,\u00a0K., Li,\u00a0J., Guo,\u00a0Z., Liu,\u00a0S., Zhu,\u00a0G., Shang,\u00a0S., \u2026 Wu,\u00a0J. (2025). Heatwaves on the rise: The role of el ni\u00f1o\u2010southern oscillation and local water\u2010energy exchanges in shaping global patterns.\u00a0<em>Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres<\/em>,\u00a0<em>130<\/em>(17). doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2024jd042446\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1029\/2024jd042446<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Xu,\u00a0Y., Zhu,\u00a0W., Samanta,\u00a0D., \u2026 Horton,\u00a0B.\u00a0P. (2026). Enduring impacts of El Ni\u00f1o on life expectancy in past and future climates.\u00a0<em>Nature Climate Change<\/em>,\u00a0<em>16<\/em>(2), 148-154. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41558-025-02534-4\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1038\/s41558-025-02534-4<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Callahan,\u00a0C.\u00a0W., \u2026 Mankin,\u00a0J.\u00a0S. (2023). Persistent effect of El Ni\u00f1o on global economic growth.\u00a0<em>Science<\/em>,\u00a0<em>380<\/em>(6649), 1064-1069. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adf2983\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.1126\/science.adf2983<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Byron,\u00a0J., Pugliese,\u00a0G., Monteiro,\u00a0C.\u00a0D., Sc,\u00a0J., Edtbauer,\u00a0A., Gomes,\u00a0E.\u00a0A., \u2026 Williams,\u00a0J. (2025). Intense El Ni\u00f1o provokes production of new reactive volatiles as stress defences in Amazon rainforest. doi:<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.21203\/rs.3.rs-8134079\/v1\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">10.21203\/rs.3.rs-8134079\/v1<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div id=\"cite-article\" class=\"align-left banner bg-brand-color crossref-doi outlined ph--16 pv--16\">\n<h2>Cite this article<\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"crossref-doi\">Sean Mowbray (2026). World must look to the past to prepare for likely unprecedented El Ni\u00f1o. Mongabay Conservation news. DOI: <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-326958\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.66709\/news-326958<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/975100c711ed9f4e4736fd7fa588cb07b44dc86ff3a043a9113559110473e565?s=32&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/975100c711ed9f4e4736fd7fa588cb07b44dc86ff3a043a9113559110473e565?s=64&amp;d=identicon&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n                            &#13;<br \/>\n        &#13;\n                        <\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; A potentially historic El Ni\u00f1o is gathering strength and likely to peak between Nov&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":805,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[12,742,14,9,2189,11,13,10,2,2190,409],"class_list":["post-804","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unicorn778","tag-bermain","tag-nino","tag-online","tag-peluang","tag-prepare","tag-saat","tag-slot","tag-terburuk","tag-unicorn778","tag-unprecedented","tag-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/804","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=804"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/804\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/805"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=804"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=804"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webmediamall.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=804"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}