A natural phenomenon like El Niño requires diligent preparation to mitigate its devastating impacts on our environment. Preparing ourselves with the proper knowledge and readiness for El Niño’s peak is the initial step toward ensuring sustainability, resilience, and community collaboration.
El Niño, which translates to ‘boy child’ or ‘little boy’, is a climatic phenomenon where intense surface water at unusually high temperatures forms in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which impacts the ocean temperatures, currents, and other related weather patterns.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced last year that the Philippines will be experiencing El Niño in 2024. The climatic phenomenon started in late 2023 and will persist, most likely until May or June 2024.
El Niño occurs every two to nine years, with the last El Niño in the country taking place from 2019 to 2020. The past El Niño phenomenon that the Philippines experienced is a reminder that preparedness for the said event should be given importance to lessen the already detrimental consequences of this climatical phenomenon.
With the peak of El Niño expected to come in the upcoming summer months, now is the time to implement safety measures, engage in proactive activities, and make necessary preparations to combat its environmental damage to the earth. Here is a list of what we can do to prepare for the El Niño peak.
Combat The Heat
One thing we have to note about the impacts of El Niño, especially in the Philippines, is that it brings drought or dry spell events. This means that the level of rainfall has been below normal for a few months. Intense dry weather will be experienced, which leads us to incorporate activities for battling the hot weather.
Don’t be shy about using your cooling appliances, such as fans, blowers for insulation, and even air conditioning. To add to that, you may also consider bringing in essentials like a hand fan, handkerchief, and umbrella when going out to combat the hot weather. Of course, let us not forget about staying hydrated to replenish our bodies from the scorching weather.
Urban Gardening
We often underestimate the power of urban gardening to mitigate the impacts of El Niño. The heat that a city can experience will most likely be quite more severe than in rural areas, which is why we should give it a try and invest in urban gardening. This lifestyle or hobby does have hidden advantages to combating the impacts of El Niño, after all.
We can incorporate urban gardening little by little into our homes. Gathering gardening essentials like pots, soils, plants, and seeds is just within reach. Time and commitment are crucial in getting into urban gardening, but don’t sweat it, as this activity will bring us numerous benefits in terms of caring for the environment, including lessening the impacts of El Niño.
Save Water As Much As Possible
Water management is another crucial preparation that we need to do due to the immense heat that El Niño can bring. During inevitable water shortages in our communities, it is important to think and act smartly on how we can give people adequate access to water.
Taking proactive measures like repairing leaks in our houses and adopting responsible water usage habits when practicing water management can greatly help us save water. In flood-prone areas, especially around Metro Manila, be prepared to gather supplies and equip yourself with the right essentials during floods and typhoons.
Connect With Community And Local Authorities
The peak of this climate pattern might be one of the best times for us to reach out to our local communities and authorities. By connecting with our community, we can learn and share various information and practices on how to better prepare ourselves for the impact of El Niño.
Additionally, local authorities are there to guide us by providing verified and trusted information about preparedness plans and emergency measures for combating the effects of El Niño.
El Niño might be a natural phenomenon that can have detrimental effects on our environment, but there are still ways to battle the impacts of it. Keeping in mind and putting into practice these simple tips can bring us sustainability and resilience in our lives in times of the El Niño peak. Together, let us navigate through these climatic and environmental challenges with preparedness, unity, and determination.
