Urgent global action needed to address impacts of La Niña

With 10.5 million people across 39 high-risk countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has called for immediate global action to address the impending impacts of La Niña.

These include shifts in rainfall patterns, with increased risks of heavy rains and flooding in some regions and drought in others.

FAO's call to action follows one of the strongest 2023-2024 El Niño climate events on record that affected more than 60 million people worldwide and led to severe droughts in Southern Africa.

FAO said its La Niña Anticipatory Action and Response Plan details essential anticipatory actions and early responses to act ahead of threats, safeguard the livelihoods of rural communities at high risk, and help vulnerable farming communities to mitigate negative effects on agriculture and food production.

Anticipated between September and November 2024 and expected to persist through January to March 2025, La Niña is expected to bring weather extremes with severe consequences for food security, particularly as around 282 million people already face acute food insecurity and urgently need assistance.



New threats

According to the plan, some models suggest increased chances of below-normal rainfall in parts of Angola, Madagascar and Namibia.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Report for July to September already indicated that 1.4 million (48%) of Namibia’s population are food insecure, requiring urgent humanitarian support to protect their livelihoods.

La Niña, a climate phenomenon characterised by the cooling of central and eastern Pacific waters, disrupts global weather patterns.

The upcoming La Niña event poses new threats, including droughts, floods and cyclones, which could further exacerbate food insecurity in already struggling regions.

Countries in Southern Africa, East Africa, Latin America and parts of Southeast Asia face significant threats to agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods.



Plan overview

The FAO’s plan to protect the at-risk communities has a two-pronged approach – to act ahead of forecasted shocks to prevent their impacts and to deliver immediate assistance where devastation from La Niña could not be avoided.

FAO said the plan is proactive and risk-based, designed to ensure that vulnerable families receive support ahead of forecasted hazards while simultaneously taking an adaptive approach to ensure that resources are reallocated to where they are most needed as conditions evolve.

The FAO is urgently seeking donor support for its plan and requires US$318 million to provide critical support to the 10.5 million people across the 39 high-risk countries.

According to FAO assessments, for every US$1 invested in anticipatory action, there is a return for farming families of more than US$7 in avoided losses and added benefits.

“With 282 million people already facing acute food insecurity globally, the stakes are high, and immediate action is required to prevent further deterioration of the situation.”