<
https://theconversation.com/a-severe-el-nino-could-threaten-something-essential-to-half-of-humanity-rice-285816>
"Forecasters expect the El Niño now underway in the tropical Pacific to
strengthen into a strong or very strong climate driver later this year.
When an El Niño arrives, it reorganises rainfall patterns around the world.
Parts of the Americas and east Africa tend to get heavier rain, while monsoonal
rains in Asia get weaker and drier conditions settle over eastern Australia,
southeast Asia, India and southern Africa.
This mix of heat and disrupted water supplies could have real consequences for
food supply, especially rice. El Niño doesn’t tend to hit wheat as hard,
because a bad season in one region is often offset elsewhere. But rice is
different. Production is concentrated in Asia and only a small share is traded.
The last El Niño in 2023-24 threatened rice supplies. This one may be worse for
farming, because climate change is adding extra heat on top of disrupted
rainfall."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
