El Niño events have been occurring for hundreds of years, but have recently become a point of huge concern for the human race and the global climate. For the fishermen of Peru and Ecuador, warm water currents on their coastline bring scarcity of fish and heavy rainfall which occurs every three four years and are attributed to the El Niño effect. Under normal conditions, the cold subsurface water in these areas rises and brings with it the nutrients which facilitate the growth of green algae on which small fish thrive thus making a food chain for other animal predators. The fisherman can get fish very easily. Warm waters due to the effect of El Niño may make it difficult for the marine life to survive which may shift its base to other areas. Large scale rainfalls in the tropical coastal areas of Latin America may result in flooding of areas affecting the agriculture. Australia and some regions of Asia may witness a reduced rainfall due to its effect on monsoon. Many believe that the recurrence of El Niño events has been happening at a faster pace than that in the past. This is associated with climatic changes and is likely to affect the agricultural production and animal life in which the role of human factor is significant. A keen vigil on the El Niño events is of utmost importance for the safe future of our coming generations.
Professor S. P. Singh, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief, Human Biology Review
Former Dean, Faculty of Life Sciences,
Punjabi University, Patiala, India