El Niño poses multiple challenges to Wayanad, experts warn

Experts speaking at the multi-stakeholder workshop on El Niño at Puthoorvayal in Wayanad.

Against the backdrop of the monsoon deficit, higher than average temperatures and forecasts of an unprecedented El Niño, the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), with the support of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) and the Directorate of Arecanut and Spices Development (DASD), has organised a multi-stakeholder workshop on El Niño at Puthoorvayal in Wayanad.

The programme assumed significance as previous super El Niño years had brought some of the lowest rainfall to the district, besides witnessing outbreaks of zoonotic diseases.

The event brought together more than 80 people from across the district, including farmers, dairy workers, frontline health workers and experts in agriculture, meteorology, veterinary sciences, public health and forestry. The objective was to create a platform for stakeholders from various fields to share insights and brainstorm possible pathways for adaptation and mitigation. The One Health framework emphasised the links between plant, animal, and human health.

The workshop was inaugurated by K.K. Ramachandran, executive vice president of KSCSTE and principal secretary, Government of Keralam.

The programme began with expert presentations on the predicted impacts of El Niño in the district and possible mitigation measures. Experts who spoke at the workshop highlighted several challenges that Wayanad could face, including decreasing crop yields due to reduced soil moisture, water shortages, an increase in animal diseases, reduced milk production, forest fires, a potential rise in human-wildlife conflict, heat-related illnesses and an increased risk of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and Kyasanur forest disease.