Nicolas Remene / Le Pictorium - El Nino phenomenon on the northern coast of Peru - 16/10/2018 - Peru / Piura / Islilla - Isla Foca - Fishing boats moored at the unloading dock in the port of Paita in the Piura region, unload their goods, 16 October 2018. Paita is one of the villages heavily impacted by the El Nino phenomenon. ---------------------------------------- El Nino phenomenon on the northern coast of Peru North of Lima in Peru and along almost 1300 km of coastline, many villages are periodically subjected to the climatic phenomena known as El Nino and La Nina. The latter occurs more often but is much weaker. As for El Nino, it returns every 3 to 7 years. It is the result of disturbances in the oceanic and climatic system in the equatorial Pacific, particularly on the Peruvian and Ecuadorian sides of South America. This phenomenon, which has a very important influence on the global climate, results in a surge of warm water in the Pacific Ocean and a rise in water levels that can lead to torrential rains, major floods and landslides. These extreme weather events have had dramatic consequences for many of the villages along the coastline. Many of these villages are fishing villages where artisanal fishing is an essential part of the local economy, and El Nino has tended to warm surface waters, resulting in a decrease in plankton and therefore fish, disrupting the entire food chain. In recent decades, the El Nino phenomenon has reappeared several times, affecting ecosystems that are already particularly vulnerable to climate change and causing a massive migration of populations subject to the climatic hazards of this coastal area of Peru.
