Heat-proofing the Philippines' agri-food sector in the face of threatening Super El Niño
It’s one thing to live in the tropics. But to call home an archipelago of 7, 641 islands, sitting right at the doorstep of the Pacific Ocean, is to live in the frontlines and confront the climate risk firsthand.
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Heat-proofing the Philippines' agri-food sector in the face of threatening Super El Niño
It’s one thing to live in the tropics. But to call home an archipelago of 7, 641 islands, sitting right at the doorstep of the Pacific Ocean, is to live in the frontlines and confront the climate risk firsthand.
The Philippines has remained at the top of the world list of most at-risk nations in recent decades, underlined by its high exposure and vulnerability to extreme weather events as worsened by the climate crisis. This year, the country is facing what scientists describe as a rare triple threat season as the warmer than usual Pacific Ocean brews a super El Niño that may trigger prolonged drought, heavy flooding, and intense typhoons in different regions across the country.
Just this month, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) confirmed the presence of El Niño following the increase in sea surface temperature in the Pacific Ocean, reaching the +0.5°C threshold. The state weather bureau also warned that El Niño may intensify between October and December, prompting government agencies to coordinate swift preparedness measures to cushion the phenomenon’s potentially crippling impacts on the country’s food, water, and energy sectors until early 2027.