El Nino Mysterious Force of Nature

EL NINO: MYSTERIOUS FORCE OF NATURE

From Papua New Guinea to the Andes in Latin
America, encompassing southern
Africa and other regions of the globe, disruptions
in weather patterns and
important climatic changes are being witnessed and
reported.  Action by
Churches Together (ACT) calls the powerful El Nino
weather phenomenon "the
wild boy of  the weather."  El Nino is
increasingly being blamed for the
changes threatening people and economies all over,
ACT reports.  ACT is a
worldwide network of churches, including the
Lutheran World Federation,
meeting human need through coordinated emergency
response.  "An El Nino
usually occurs every two to seven years and
normally lasts one or two
years, in which time it can kill hundreds of
people and destroy billions of
dollars in crops, fisheries and property."  ACT
has issued a "preparedness
appeal" for $100,000.  The goal is "to promote
awareness within the
affected population of the Andean regions about
the phenomenon, the risks
and prevention," according to ACT.  ACT
participants in Papua New Guinea,
Swaziland, Mozambique, Zambia, Nicaragua and
Honduras have alerted the
coordinating office to the adverse effects of El
Nino already beginning to
be manifest in their respective countries.
Meteorological predictions
worldwide and in the regions indicate possible
severe drought conditions
during 1997-1998.  ACT-related agencies are
assisting in vulnerability
mapping and advising farmers on planting early,
use of short cycle crop
varieties, cultivation in low areas, preserving
and keeping extra amounts
of seeds for possible re-planting, limited and
low-tech irrigation wherever
possible, use of water saving ridges and moisture
conservation.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or
NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html