Ecuador has declared a nationwide emergency over the El Niño climate phenomenon, joining several other Latin American countries as scientists warn the current event could become one of the strongest on record.
Ecuador’s Ministry of Risk Management issued a red alert across the country on Saturday, activating emergency committees to coordinate preventive evacuations and other measures.
The country is bracing for drought and wildfires, particularly in its eastern Amazon region.
The latest El Niño episode is already contributing to severe drought in parts of Central America and worsening wildfires in Indonesia.
Scientists expect the phenomenon to peak by the end of this year and warn that its effects could contribute to record global temperatures in 2027.
El Niño occurs when surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific become unusually warm, disrupting atmospheric patterns and changing rainfall, temperatures and wind conditions.
The phenomenon can also affect marine ecosystems, including fishing and bird migration.
Ecuador is the latest country in the region to take emergency measures. Panama, Honduras and El Salvador have already declared emergencies over El Niño, while Peru has imposed a state of emergency in about a third of its cities over concerns about extreme heat and heavy rainfall affecting food supplies.
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