Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organisation said the prevailing El Nino conditions were most likely to intensify into “a very strong event” in the coming months and continue through February 2027.
More than 180 scientists and ecologists in India have signed an appeal asking fellow researchers and field practitioners to prepare for an upcoming “super” El Nino event, warning that it could have devastating effects on the country’s natural systems.
In their appeal, the signatories called for stronger research and monitoring to better understand how extreme climate events affect nature and linked social systems.
Earlier this month, the World Meteorological Organisation said the prevailing El Nino conditions were most likely to intensify into “a very strong event” in the coming months and continue through February 2027.
El Nino is marked by the unusual warming of surface waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean. In the Pacific, temperatures have steadily risen above the 0.5 degrees Celsius threshold and crossed 2.6 degrees Celsius in August. Projections have reported 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.
They said an El Nino event of this strength could have severe effects on India, its people and its ecology. These could include widespread coral bleaching and mortality, an increase in wildfires, and the death of large rainforest trees. There is also a high probability of drought and extreme heat conditions, which they said 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,” the scientists and ecologists said. They urged fellow scientists to use the warning signs and mobilise as a community to document and study the impact of the event on India’s natural systems.