Latin American governments are racing against time to fortify their infrastructure before El Niño strengthens across the Pacific. The meteorological phenomenon is already underway, and officials across the region are mobilizing firefighters, activating contingency plans, and preparing water, energy, and transportation systems for what could be months of severe disruption.
Unlike hurricanes or earthquakes, El Niño develops gradually, giving governments a rare window to act preemptively. Yet that advantage comes with a catch: history shows that many countries struggle to convert forecasts into concrete action before crisis strikes.
Rodney Martinez, the World Meteorological Organization's representative for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, was direct about the stakes. "Now is the time for decisions, for effective preparedness and the political consistency to really be proactive this time," he said. "El Nino is confirmed. El Nino is ongoing. It's not simply a possibility."
Previous strong El Niño events have cost Latin America billions of dollars in economic damage. These climate shifts have triggered severe droughts in some regions while unleashing floods and landslides in others. The phenomenon has decimated agriculture, depleted drinking water supplies, sparked massive wildfires, and in hydropower-dependent nations, slashed electricity generation—forcing rolling blackouts and energy crises.
The Energy Vulnerability
Ecuador learned this lesson the hard way last year when drought depleted water levels at hydroelectric facilities and triggered widespread power outages. The country's energy infrastructure, like much of Latin America's, relies heavily on hydropower. Martinez emphasized that hydropower-dependent nations like Ecuador need to bring thermal power generation online now to offset lower reservoir levels during drier conditions. Maintenance and procurement work must be completed well in advance of peak impact.
Brazil, Colombia, and parts of Central America face particular drought and wildfire risk. Brazil has hired more than 4,600 federal personnel for wildfire prevention and response, expanded firefighting brigades, and deployed aircraft ahead of what officials fear could be a difficult fire season. Colombia has activated water-monitoring systems, strengthened wildfire preparedness, and urged local authorities to prepare for potential shortages.
The threat isn't uniform across the region. 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.
Costa Rica 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 strengthened monitoring and early-warning systems while expanding meteorological observation networks. Panama developed plans to address potential impacts on 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.
Preparation Gaps Remain
Despite the advance warning, preparations remain uneven across the region. Martinez warned that 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 reality is that this preparation doesn't happen until they have the emergency," he said.
Colombia's environment minister, Irene Vélez, acknowledged the challenge. "El Nino is not new, but what is new is its intensity," she told The Associated Press. "And because of that intensity, what is also new is how long it could last and the area it could affect."
The WMO official warned that drought and heat could threaten food security across 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.
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. Martinez's message to governments still hesitating was unambiguous: "Be prepared in advance, in a serious way. The information is there. Now is the time for decisions."
Vélez framed the challenge as extending beyond responding to a single climate event. "Climate change is here to stay," she said, signaling that governments must adapt to increasingly extreme conditions as a permanent feature of governance and economic planning.
Why This Matters:
El Niño presents a fiscal and operational test for Latin American governments. The region has already absorbed billions in damages from previous events, and those costs compound when governments fail to prepare in advance. Energy infrastructure—particularly hydropower systems—faces immediate vulnerability, which threatens both industrial competitiveness and public services. The Panama Canal's operations, critical to global trade, could face disruption if water levels drop. For countries dependent on agriculture, drought threatens food security and export revenue. The uneven preparation across the region suggests that some governments will bear far heavier costs than others, creating economic disparities and potential social strain. Delayed decision-making now virtually guarantees emergency spending later, when options are fewer and prices higher. The fiscal discipline and advance planning that governments show in the coming months will determine whether El Niño becomes a manageable challenge or an economic catastrophe.