By Rasheeda Hamidu
Governments across several countries are strengthening measures against drought, flooding, extreme heat and wildfires as a rapidly intensifying El Niño climate pattern increases the risk of severe weather impacts later in 2026.
Al Jazeera reported on Thursday that Sri Lanka had begun delivering water to nearly 72,000 people across seven districts affected by drought linked to the strengthening El Niño, with the government allocating 4.8 billion rupees ($14 million) for emergency water distribution.
Sri Lanka’s Environment Minister, Dammika Patabendi, said water levels in hundreds of small reservoirs had fallen to about 10 per cent, with affected families expected to receive about 75 litres of water every two to three days for drinking and sanitation.
Patabendi said the government had initially expected El Niño to peak around November but now believed the peak could occur earlier, adding that response measures would be revised and extended as necessary.
Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology has also warned of a high probability of a strong El Niño during the October–December period.
Indonesia is also facing significant wildfire risks, with its government reporting that more than 200,000 hectares of land had burned since the beginning of the year, including 95,000 hectares in July alone.
The fires have contributed to poor air quality in parts of the country, particularly in Central Kalimantan.
Indonesia’s Forestry Minister, Raja Juli Antoni, said authorities had placed experts on standby for cloud-seeding operations, which could be conducted when suitable clouds and technical conditions were available to support firefighting and fire prevention.
In Honduras, the government has placed 80 per cent of the country, including the capital, under drought alert after dry conditions linked to El Niño affected harvests and contributed to livestock deaths, while the United States plans to send a military hospital to Peru next year to assist with anticipated impacts.
Sri Lanka’s government had already established a Cabinet subcommittee in June to coordinate short-, medium- and long-term measures addressing potential El Niño impacts on water, electricity, food and disaster risks. The committee includes officials from the environment, agriculture, energy, water supply and disaster management sectors.
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern associated with unusually warm sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific, which can alter rainfall and temperature patterns far beyond the Pacific region and increase the likelihood of drought, flooding, extreme heat and wildfires.
NatureNews notes that the intensifying El Niño is already prompting governments to strengthen preparedness around water security, agriculture, wildfire management and disaster response, highlighting the importance of early warning systems and coordinated climate-risk planning as extreme weather threats evolve.
