El Nino: More Than A Weather Phenomenon
El Nino: More Than A Weather Phenomenon
Japan's weather bureau was the first to declare in the month of February that El Nino could be waiting around the corner. Now, the weather agency has talked of how the emergence of the El Nino weather pattern is getting closer. The chance of an El Nino pattern was forming is said to be quite high as rainfall patterns in India face disruption.
If the Modi Wave brought cheers to the economy, El Nino now threatens to dislodge it. El Nino which is the warming of the surface temperatures of the Pacific Ocean has been linked to calamities such as droughts in Southeast Asia and Australia as well as floods in South America. It also impacts production of key commodities and crops in an adverse manner. The think-tank IBON foundation in the Philippines has discussed how the Malacañang has yet to come up with a coordinated plan for the looming El Nino apart from suggesting measures for conservation of water.
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System needs to do more than just promoting water conservation. It needs to chalk out a plan for supplying potable water, according to the think-tank. The El Nino phenomenon has also been linked to stronger storms in this nation. It has also threatened the livelihood of small and poor farmers across the Southeast Asian nations.
As in India, the Philippines also suffers from constant water crisis for irrigation purposes and an unstable rainfall pattern can unseat agricultural practices across nations. Crop shifting and monitoring the incidence of pests and diseases is important, but so is installing long-term measures for prevention of global warming. Initiatives such as the app in China which alerts one regarding pollution levels and GHG emissions of factories there are perfect for curbing global warming.
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) has also issued a paper on the “El Nino, Drought and Growth Concerns of the Indian Economy” where the link between drought and industrial slowdown have been examined. Deficiency in rainfall could also impact food inflation and it is critical to provide farm insurance cover to agrarians.
The IMD had predicted that monsoons would reach the Bay of Bengal and Tamil Nadu by June 7th. However, the monsoon continues to play truant and there are changes in the pattern. In case El Nino does play spoilsport, government stockpiles of staples such as sugar, wheat and rice from bumper crop harvests can solve part of the problem, but the part where food inflation rises will remain a hurdle. High prices can impact RBI efforts tor revive the economy as good rainfall can contribute to overall market confidence.
El Nino alone is not needed to wreak havoc. Global warming has done its job already. Maximum temperature touched a 62 year high at 47.8 degree Celsius on June 8. Recorded rainfall in the first week of June as been in deficit by 44%. The NDA government is right in not creating a media hype or alarming people, but care should be taken that constructive measures are in place to protect the Indian farmer and the citizens from the hazard of the El Nino effect. The Modi Wave resulted in a historic mandate for India, but the government now needs to act promptly to justify this mandate. As the world gears up for a possible El Nino effect, the best recipes for dealing with the results are no secret. A proactive approach, efficient management of resources and a counter-offensive to end global warming are the sure-fire solution.
