TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Sri Lanka is urging farmers to conserve water as the country is bracing for a potential drought by July and August, triggered by the upcoming El Nino phenomenon.
Thushara Wickramaarachchi, Director-General of the Sri Lanka Department of Agriculture, advised farmers to cultivate short-term crop varieties as a precautionary measure.
Sri Lanka could face lower rainfall and the threat of drought in July and August if El Nino develops, a senior official at the Sri Lanka Meteorological Department said last week.
Wickramaarachchi said farmers should not be overly concerned about cultivation during the Yala planting season, but should manage water carefully and follow the instructions of agricultural officials.
He added that the department is monitoring the situation and will provide necessary advice to farmers if weather conditions change.
Sri Lanka is now moving forward with energy storage plans and grid upgrades in preparation for increasing the share of renewable electricity in the national electricity supply by 2030.
Strongest El Nino in a Century
Meanwhile, citing DW, forecasters warned that the upcoming El Nino developing in the Pacific Ocean may be among the strongest on record.
Paul Roundy, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the State University of New York at Albany, said there is a real potential "for the strongest El Nino event in 140 years," while the UN weather agency WMO warned that El Nino could emerge soon and last well into winter.
Impacts of El Nino vary by region, meaning in some places, there is a real risk of drought and wildfires, while in others, flooding.
Xinhua and DW contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: The Strongest El Nino in More than a Century May Be Coming
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