What can we do to reduce the effects on the environment?
According to recent news in May 2023, “the El Nino phenomenon is expected to occur in Southeast Asia sometime next month and the resulting hotter and drier weather is set to exacerbate the haze situation in the region. In Malaysia, the air quality dropped to unhealthy levels in parts of Peninsular Malaysia last month. There were also reports of a trans boundary haze by the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre in various places in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos last month.”
El Nino is a climatic phenomenon that affects the weather patterns of the Pacific Ocean and its surrounding regions specifically along the equator. It occurs irregularly and typically lasts for several months to a few years. It occurs when warm water from the western Pacific Ocean moves towards the east, causing changes in atmospheric pressure, winds, and rainfall patterns. The effects of El Niño can be seen in many regions, causing heavy rains, floods and droughts, typically affecting South America and South Asia.
El Nino has been linked to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heavy rains and floods. Severe consequences affect communities that are vulnerable to such events, particularly in developing countries with poor infrastructure and limited resources to cope with the aftermath.
Back in 2017, a cyclone caused heavy rains and floods in several regions of Peru. In March, the story repeats with Cyclone Yaku, which has brought about heavy rains that brought about physical and material losses.
Let’s look at the impacts of El Nino and how we can manage it.
Climate Change Impacts:
- Increased in global warming due to the frequency and intensity of El Niño events
- The warming of the oceans due to climate change
- Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves.
Atmosphere Impacts:
- Large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.
- Increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide due to changes in ocean currents and upwelling that it produces.
- Extreme changes in temperature.
Key to mitigating the Impacts:
- Strategise plans for prevention, preparedness, and response in advance
- Strengthening climate change readiness, emergency response plans and capabilities
- Have warning systems and effective response measures in place
With such measures, let us all play our part to protect our communities and workplace, reduce vulnerabilities, and minimise the damage caused by extreme weather events. Closer to home, there is a rising need to reduce our carbon footprint for example, by limiting rebuilding, opting for local produce, adopting reuse and recycle mindset, reduce or reuse water usage, and support clean energy sources, among many others.
Read more on recent El Nino news here.
References: 7Analytics
