Governments across Latin America are mobilizing firefighters, activating contingency plans and preparing water, energy and transportation systems as El Niño strengthens across the Pacific—a climate phenomenon that meteorologists warn will bring drought, extreme heat, flooding and widespread disruptions in the months ahead.
Unlike hurricanes or earthquakes, El Niño develops gradually over months, giving authorities time to prepare. Yet experts say the region has historically struggled to convert scientific forecasts into concrete action, raising serious questions about whether countries will be better equipped than during previous El Niño events that caused billions of dollars in damage and crippled water, energy and food systems.
"Now is the time for decisions, for effective preparedness and the political consistency to really be proactive this time," said Rodney Martinez, the World Meteorological Organization's representative for North America, Central America and the Caribbean. "El Nino is confirmed. El Nino is ongoing. It's not simply a possibility."
The Scale of Past Damage
Previous strong El Niño events have devastated Latin America's economy and infrastructure. The phenomenon has triggered severe drought in some regions while unleashing floods and landslides in others. Agriculture has collapsed, drinking water supplies have been strained, wildfires have raged unchecked, and in hydropower-dependent countries, reduced water levels have caused energy shortages that left millions without power.
Ecuador's energy crisis last year offers a stark example. Drought depleted water levels at hydroelectric facilities and contributed to widespread power outages that disrupted daily life across the country. Recent studies examining previous major El Niño events found their economic impacts can linger for years and ultimately cost the global economy trillions of dollars.
Central America, parts of the Caribbean and northern South America are already experiencing drier-than-normal conditions associated with the phenomenon. The WMO warns that these conditions are expected to expand into parts of the Amazon basin, raising urgent concerns about water availability, agriculture and wildfire risk.
Who Bears the Burden
The threats vary considerably across the region, and so do the vulnerabilities. In Brazil, Colombia and parts of Central America, authorities are focused on drought, water shortages and wildfire risk. Brazil has hired more than 4,600 federal personnel for wildfire prevention and response and expanded firefighting brigades ahead of what officials fear could be a difficult fire season. Colombia has activated water-monitoring systems and strengthened wildfire preparedness while urging local authorities to prepare for potential shortages.
Elsewhere, governments are bracing for flooding. Ecuador, where strong El Niño events have historically brought damaging rains to the Pacific coast, has ordered local governments to develop contingency plans and allocated millions of dollars for flood mitigation, emergency response and agricultural recovery. Local authorities have begun clearing drainage channels, stabilizing hillsides and preparing emergency shelters.
The WMO official warned that drought and heat could threaten food security across parts of Central America's Dry Corridor while increasing wildfire risks in several countries. In areas expected to receive excessive rainfall, flooding can damage infrastructure, contaminate water supplies and increase the risk of disease outbreaks.
Uneven Preparation Across Nations
Countries are taking different approaches based on their specific climate risks. Costa Rica says it has launched more than 200 measures under a national contingency plan, including efforts to protect water supplies, expand renewable energy generation and prepare for a potentially severe wildfire season. In Peru, authorities have strengthened monitoring and early-warning systems while expanding meteorological observation networks. Panamanian authorities have developed plans to address potential impacts on operations at the Panama Canal, where lower rainfall can affect water availability needed to maintain shipping traffic through one of the world's most important trade routes.
In hydropower-dependent countries such as Ecuador, officials are considering bringing thermal power generation online to offset lower reservoir levels during drier conditions and completing maintenance work well in advance. Martinez emphasized that countries should use the months before impacts intensify to secure alternative energy sources, protect vulnerable communities and prepare for potential strain on public services.
Yet Martinez warned that preparations remain uneven across the region. "The reality is that this preparation doesn't happen until they have the emergency," he said. Some authorities continue to delay decisions despite increasingly strong forecasts, either waiting for additional confirmation or assuming their countries will avoid the worst impacts.
The Cost of Delay
Colombia's environment minister, Irene Vélez, told The Associated Press that El Nino isn't new, but "what is new is its intensity. And because of that intensity, what is also new is how long it could last and the area it could affect." She emphasized that the challenge extends beyond responding to a single climate event and requires governments to adapt to increasingly extreme conditions. "Climate change is here to stay," she said.
Martinez warned that postponing decisions despite increasingly strong scientific evidence could leave governments scrambling to respond once droughts, floods and heat waves intensify. His message to governments still waiting to act was direct. "Be prepared in advance, in a serious way," Martinez said. "The information is there. Now is the time for decisions."
Why This Matters:
El Niño isn't a distant threat—it's already underway, and the region's ability to respond will determine whether millions face water shortages, food insecurity, power outages and displacement. The gap between scientific warning and government action represents a failure of institutional preparedness that falls hardest on vulnerable communities: small farmers whose crops depend on predictable rainfall, urban poor without reliable water access, and workers in energy-dependent industries. Previous El Niño events have cost billions and disrupted systems for years. The WMO's warning that some governments are still delaying action despite strong forecasts suggests that political will, not scientific knowledge, remains the constraint. Whether Latin American nations can move from forecasting to genuine prevention—investing in alternative energy, protecting water supplies, reinforcing infrastructure—will determine whether this El Niño becomes another economic catastrophe or a moment when collective preparation prevented widespread harm.