ECUADOR

An alarming future

An episode from the series FACING CLIMATE

Synopsis

Abnormally high water temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean characterize El Niño.

While this meteorological phenomenon mainly impacts South American fishermen, its passage in 2016 also resulted in a new heat record. At the time, Ecuador experienced heavy rainfall and repeated droughts.

Today, scientists are trying to design better forecasting models to forewarn this phenomenon, while others are seeking to understand how climate change can exacerbate or mitigate some of El Niño's impacts.