Observations of Climate Anomalies in Asia: A Case Study on El Nino–Southern Oscillation Impact

Abstract

El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) brings about a lot of impressions in socio-economic sectors across Asia where agriculture, water resources, population health, and economic security are the most afflicted sectors. In evaluating the adaptation strategies embraced by the farmers, the researchers evaluate how they become aware of anomalies in climate due to ENSO and confirm their observations by the readings of climate instruments. The difference between meteorological measurements and those of farmers on climate changes is that their memories are biased and affected by seasonal changes and the environment peculiar to the region will shape their views. The real measurements given by farmers are also valuable cues to climate stressors even though there are variations in the measurements recorded. The altered production methods, the level of agriculture systems development and inability to move to new activities are adopted by the affected communities as the adaptation strategy to their survival. Both the financial impediments and institutional restraint and the social practices of the past still lead to the popularization of adaptation programs. The problem of groundwater scarcity and the reliance on chemicals are some of the factors that precondition the necessity to develop integrated adaptation planning, which leads to the emphasis on the long-term sustainability of the examples of adaptation practices.