The Impacts of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Events on Cereal Production, Area and Yield in Asia

Studies suggest that climate change is likely to increase the frequency of extreme weather events, and climate impacts like the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is considered as the most significant climate impact that directly affects the agriculture sector. With all the new and pioneering technologies developed, farm intensification initiatives and sustained efforts to increase agricultural productivity, the sector is still dependent on the local climate and weather conditions. In India, Indonesia, Philippines and Sri Lanka, ENSO events significantly depressed cereal production, but whether the same impacts were experienced in other areas and affected other crops remain to be evaluated.

This study extended the number of countries and crops covered in the existing literature on ENSO vis-à-vis agriculture, improved cross-country comparability by using a standard methodology, increased market transparency by providing publicly available estimates of ENSO impacts, and assisted in the preliminary identification of coping strategies that can be adopted by local farmers.

Partner:

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Date Completed: November 2010