Climate change is strengthening the El Nino weather patterns. And this change could endanger food supplies for more than 20 million people in Africa, a new study warns.
El Nino is a phenomenon of warming of the water in the tropical Pacific Ocean, associated with changes in air pressure and the movement of high-level winds – and it can affect weather worldwide.
There is a close association between El Ninos and variations in production of corn, sorghum, millet and groundnuts such as peanuts. This is shown by a new analysis of 40 years of African crop and livestock records. According to researchers led by Hans R. Herren of the Millennium Institute in Arlington, Va, corn was particularly affected, with yield reduced in El Nino years in several African countries.
Via: Environmental News Network