Question

Provide a possible solution to reduce the damaging effects of an El Niño or La Niña event.

Answer 1

Explanation:

The Economic and Social Council convened a Special Meeting on “Impacts of the 2015/16 El Niño phenomenon: Reducing risks and capturing opportunities” at the request of the General Assembly on 6 May 2016.

As President of the Economic and Social Council, I am pleased to share the following key messages and recommendations that emerged from our discussions during the meeting.

• The El Niño phenomenon––with its increasing intensity––has lasting consequences for development. We heard the many serious social, economic, and environmental impacts of the 2015/16 El Niño. Extreme weather is affecting people’s lives, productive capacity, health and livelihoods.

• More than 60 million around the world have been impacted. People whose livelihoods depend on agriculture, fisheries and livestock are particularly affected. Some countries have lost arable farmable land. In Southern Africa alone, over 32 million people are affected by severe drought.