Mitigating the impact of El Niño on hunger in Malawi

Anderson, Weston; Chiduwa, Mazvita; De Weerdt, Joachim; Diao, Xinshen; Duchoslav, Jan; Guo, Zhe; et al. 2023. Mitigating the impact of El Niño on hunger in Malawi. MaSSP Policy Note 51. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136971.

El Niño is a phase in an irregular periodic variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the Pacific Ocean. It occurs on average every 2 to 7 years and typically lasts between 9 months and 2 years. El Niño affects the global weather patterns, resulting in above-average precipitation in some places and droughts in others. Malawi and its neighbors typically experience drier than usual weather during El Niño, which often leads to poor growing conditions and below-average harvests.