Currently the El Niño phenomenon reaches a moderate behavior in Panama and is expected to reach its maximum intensity between November 2023 and January 2024, according to the report of the last quarter presented by the director of the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama, Luz Graciela de Calzadilla, explained that currently

The Minister of the Presidency, José Simpson Polo, led a meeting in which the state of the El Niño phenomenon and its behavior for the last quarter of the year were followed up, with the aim of taking measures that allow anticipating possible effects on the population.

According to the official, the report predicts that El Niño will continue during the winter of the Northern Hemisphere, with more than 95% probability, between January and March 2024. Regarding the recorded temperature, there is an increase in the average air temperature between 1°C and 2°C in the country.

With regard to rainfall, the first half of 2023 occupies the number 1 position in the ranking of the driest years, in a historical analysis since 1981. The year 2023 maintains an average deficit of 48% in rainfall.

Last May, the Cabinet Council declared a state of environmental emergency throughout the national territory in the face of the prolonged drought as a result of the climate crisis that affects the world.

The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN), the Ministry of Environment, National Authority of Public Services and the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama are the entities in charge of executing the action plans to counteract the situation and adopt the necessary measures, including the Drought Plan that MIDA advances and that is supporting producers at the national level.

Jorge Rivera Staff, national secretary of Energy, and José Alejandro Rojas Pardini, Minister of Private Investment Facilitation, were also present at the meeting