New Delhi: More than 180 scientists and ecologists in India have signed an appeal to fellow researchers and field practitioners to prepare for an upcoming “super” El Nino event, which is likely to have devastating impacts on the country’s natural systems.
El Nino is marked by the unusual warming of surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
In the Pacific Ocean, temperatures have steadily risen above the 0.5 degrees Celsius threshold, reaching more than 2.6 degrees Celsius in August. Projections report possible anomalies of more than 4 degrees Celsius, the highest in the past 1,000 years.
“We call upon fellow ecologists to respond by strengthening and expanding our research and monitoring efforts to better understand the effects of extreme climate events on the natural world and connected social systems,” the signatories said in their appeal.
Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) had said that the prevailing El Nino conditions were most likely to intensify into “a very strong event” in the coming months and persist through February 2027.
An El Nino event of such strength could have severe effects on India, its population and ecology.
These include widespread bleaching and mortality of coral, an increase in wildfires, and the death of large rainforest trees, according to the signatories.
There is also a high probability of drought and extreme heat conditions, which could be catastrophic for India’s farmers, fishermen and shepherds.
“In addition though, more subtle impacts on India’s nature — including delayed fruit production or changes in animal behaviour — could be equally important, but may be much less visible unless you are specifically looking for them,” said the scientists and ecologists.
They urged fellow scientists to take advantage of the warning signs and mobilise as a community to document and study the impact of this event on India’s nature.
Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist with the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and one of the signatories, said in a statement, “We must document these changes as they unfold, but also safeguard the ecosystems that remain and reduce the pressures already weakening them. What we learn and protect during this El Nino can help India prepare for a warmer and more volatile future.”
