Impact of El-Nino and La-Nina Episodes on Rainfall Variability and Crop Yield
Devi Lal, Sompal Singh
Abstract
El Nino and La Nina events have an impact on the Indian monsoon in terms of less rainfall than average and more rainfall in La Nina years. El-Nino events are more likely to see rainfall variability during the monsoon and depressions over the Bay of Bengal (July-August). ENSO is a disruption in ocean surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation over the Pacific Ocean leading to wide spread changes in rainfall/precipitation regimes around the world. El Nino years' effects on crop production in India as a result of lower rainfall during the south-west monsoon. In the kharif season (June to September), crops suffer from moisture and have lower yields in El-Nino years, but the opposite in La-Nina years. The El Nino is associate with the possibility of drought like situation at many occasions and La Nina is the opposite of El-Nino events.