Global food production at risk as El Niño climate takes shape

THE development of an El Niño climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean this year has become more likely, with dangerously high temperatures and extreme weather events expected, the World Meteorological Organization said last week.

El Niño and La Niña are natural phenomena which the WMO describes as “major drivers of the Earth’s climate system.” After a three-year La Niña spell, which is associated with ocean cooling, the world faces an 80 per cent chance of an El Niño event developing between July and September.

Tell-tale signs are a warming of the ocean surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. With a slightly lesser likelihood, it may develop even earlier.

WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas, citing the agency’s State of the Global Climate reports, said the eight years from 2015 to 2022 were the warmest on record. The world experienced the hot weather although the planet for three of those years “had a cooling La Niña... and this acted as a temporary brake on global temperature increase.”

The WMO chief also warned that the development of El Niño would “most likely lead to a new spike in global heating and increase the chance of breaking temperature records.”

The “very powerful” El Niño event of 2014-2015, combined with greenhouse gas-induced atmosphere warming, resulted in 2016 being the warmest year on record. WMO said the effects of the upcoming El Niño on global temperatures will likely be most apparent in 2024. Taalas said the world “should prepare” for El Niño, which can trigger more extreme weather and climate events, including severe rainfall and drought, depending on the region.

He also stressed the crucial role of early warning services, which can help inform action and avoid the worst impacts of extreme weather. Some one hundred countries in the world today do not have adequate weather services in place, according to the WMO.

The WMO said there was no indication so far about the strength or duration of the upcoming potential El Niño, and that no two El Niño events were the same. Close monitoring will be needed to pinpoint the impacts.

The agency said El Niño events are “typically associated” with increased rainfall, which can cause flooding, in southern parts of South America, the southern United States, central Asia and the Horn of Africa.

While WMO notes it might bring “respite” from the long drought spell in the Horn of Africa, El Niño can also cause “severe droughts” over Australia, Indonesia, and parts of southern Asia.

Given the record number of people facing acute food insecurity, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said last week it was “scrutinizing the areas in the globe that are especially vulnerable to El Niño” and supporting countries on risk mitigation.

FAO pointed to ] Southern Africa, Central America and the Caribbean and parts of Asia as areas of particular concern, where many people are already food insecure and “key cropping seasons fall under the typical El Niño weather patterns of drier conditions.”

The agency also flagged that major cereal producing and exporting countries, such as Australia, Brazil and South Africa, are among the countries at risk of dry conditions, while on the other hand, excessive rainfall could affect cereal exporters Argentina, Turkey and the United States.

“Early warnings mean that we have to take early and anticipatory action, and we will support our Members in these efforts, to the full extent resources allow,” said Rein Paulsen, head of FAO’s Office for Emergencies and Resilience.

The agency stressed that along with other UN entities, it has been working for years to develop anticipatory action plans for a number of countries and is ready to “act early, in coordination with governments and partners,” if the forecasts materialize. UN News

Ando smashes 3 records, wins 1st gold in SEAG

PHNOM

PENH—Tokyo Olympian

Elreen Ann Ando finally struck gold on her third try, ruling the -59kg event of the weightlifting competitions in record fashion in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games on Sunday at the National Olympic Stadium here.

The 24-year-old Ando proved to be a cut above the rest as she lifted a total of 216 kgs, a new record total, to go with two other new marks she set±the clean and jerk with her 118 kgs, and the snatch at 98 kgs.

“It’s just a matter of redeeming myself after all those failures and heartaches, especially in the last Asian Championships when I did not finish my clean and jerk. I focused on my training and came to my senses again,” said Andro, who could only muster silver-medal finishes in Vietnam last year and the Philippines in 2019.

Ando placed 7th in the Tokyo games two years ago.

Thailand’s Suratwadee Yodsarn settled for the silver with a 91-kg lift in snatch, and 115kg in clean and jerk for a total of 206 kg, while Vietnamese Hoang Thi Duyen placed third with a 93kg in snatch, 112kg in clean and jerk for a total lift of 205 kg.

The old record in snatch (96kg), clean and jerk (115 kg) and total (210 kg) was established by Duyen in last Hanoi, Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in May 2022.

Ando also ended the Vietnamese’ two-year reign in the 59 kg.

So far, the Philippines has one gold in weightlifting, and four silvers courtesy of Angeline Colonia (women’s 45 kg), Lovely Inan (women’s 49 kg), John Febuar Ceniza (men’s 61 kg) and Rosalinda Faustino (women’s 55 kg).

“It is the start of Philippines’ rise in weightlifting. As what I said after Colonia’s silver, others will follow,” coach Edmund Cardano said. “Reigning champion Vanessa Sarno and Kristel Macrohon will follow Ando, I believe.”