The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) declared an onset of El Niño last July 4, 2023, in a press release by PAG-ASA officials led by Officer in Charge Dr. Esperanza Cayanan. PAG-ASA released an El Niño Advisory 1 and is expecting the government agencies to take action as the phenomenon's effects will be felt in some areas of the country.
El Niño is a climate pattern that describes an unusual warming of the surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which is the warm phase of a larger phenomenon called El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). El Niño was first recognized in Peru when the fishers noticed the appearance of unusual warming of water. There are no specific records of what indigenous Peruvians called the phenomenon. Spanish immigrants started calling it El Niño which has a literal meaning of “the little boy” in Spanish and when capitalized, it means “the Christ Child”. They used El Niño to call the phenomenon considering that this unusual warming of waters often happens around Christmas. After those, El Niño became a description of irregularities and intense climate changes instead of just the warming of coastal surface waters.
In the 1930s, climatologists led by the work of Sir Gilbert Walker determined that El Niño occurs at the same time as the Southern Oscillation. The Southern Oscillation is the change in air pressure over the tropical Pacific Ocean, which causes the coastal waters to become warmer in the eastern tropical Pacific and decreasing of the atmospheric pressure above the ocean. Climatologists called these linked phenomena as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Both terms, El Niño and ENSO are used by the scientists interchangeably.
El Niño happens prior to the different conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean:
The tropical Pacific consistently moves the trade winds westerly which causes the warm water to build on the western side of the ocean, near Asia. On the other hand, while the trade winds move westerly, near Central and South America, cold waters are pushed up towards the surface. Due to this, the temperature across the equatorial Pacific will make a difference, with warm water on the west and cold water on the east.
El Niño’s occurrence can cause a huge dilemma:
With this phenomenon, the Philippines is most likely to experience below-normal rainfall conditions which could lead to drought in some areas of the country. However, PAG-ASA said that above-normal rainfall conditions during southwest monsoon or habagat may also be expected in the western part of the country. According to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, “During the strong El Niño years, rice production could decrease by double digits. Even a slight El Niño could cause agricultural production to decrease by 1-2 percent.” Due to below-normal rainfall, excessive heat may occur especially in the eastern portion of the country which can cause droughts in land agricultures. On the other hand, marine fisheries can also feel the dilemma brought by the El Niño phenomena. Considering the ocean-atmospheric interactions, the changes may influence marine organisms leading to an increase in phytoplankton biomass and widespread coral bleaching, and a possibility of fish kills. The occurrence of seaweed diseases and threats to marine mammals may also happen. With these effects on agriculture and marine fisheries, the country may suffer from food scarcity, knowing that the El Niño phenomenon causes food production to decrease. El Niño can also induce extreme weather events causing deadly and destructive disasters such as floods, typhoons, and landslides.
El Niño can also be a factor in health and well-being harm:
Extreme heat can cause heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat stroke, and heat exhaustion. It can also be a factor in to increase of deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and other chronic medical conditions, as well as human mental health. Additionally, food and water issues can increase, considering that excessive heat affects the food and water quality. It can cause the risks of infectious diseases like malaria, dengue, leptospirosis, typhoid fever, and cholera.
With this serious dilemma, the Philippine government took preparations to reduce the possible effects of El Niño:
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order 22, creating the Water Resources Management Office (WRMO) in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), stating to create an office that will ensure the availability and sustainability of water management resources in the country. This office was created to address the current situation affecting the management of water resources in the country. It addresses the fragmented water and sanitation sector, increasing the demand for water due to population and economic growth, impacts of climate change and pandemic, lack of infrastructure, and inconsistent government regulations. WRMO is tasked to generate and maintain credible water and sanitation data to support evidence-based policy-making, regulations, planning, and implementation. The National Irrigation Administration identified the areas that will be prioritized for irrigation.
The Department of Health (DOH) released reminders about the dos and don’ts as El Niño rolls in:
In a forum released last April this year, Maria Belinda Evangelista and Rosalind Vianzon from DOH shared reminders to avoid health and well-being issues that may occur as the climate phenomenon exists this year.
What to do:
● Stay hydrated. It is suggested to drink eight glasses of water per day.
● Wear light and loose clothes.
● Taking a bath every day will cool the body and prevent rashes and skin infections.
● Conserve water.
● Reduce breeding sites of mosquitos, such as water-filled containers in the house. patio.
● Use sunblock or sunscreen when going out.
● If you’re unsure about the water quality, boil the water first before drinking it.
● Seek medical attention if experiencing symptoms of a disease.
What not to do:
● Do not do exhausting physical activities such as running at a speed faster than 10mph.
● Do not drink from doubtful water sources.
● Do not stay under the sun without proper protection, especially from 10 am to 4 pm.
● Do not self-medicate, seek medical attention if symptoms are experienced.
● Do not drink coffee and alcoholic beverages too much.
The current situation is a global problem with different possibilities of massive destruction of agriculture, marine fisheries, and even in health. Stay alert with the updates regarding climate matters considering that it affects not just one but the whole world. As early as we could, we should take immediate action to reduce the impact of the effects of El Niño phenomena. Hold each other's hands because this is a world fight against natural phenomena.
Article by Rhea Claire Angela Vinluan
Layout by John Miel Dacanay
Photo by Museum on Main Street
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