A supercharged climate phenomenon is threatening to make Asia’s energy crisis worse. Drought and high temperatures, sparked by a Super El Nino that could hit the region this summer, will strain power grids right as countries are still scrambling for limited oil and gas supplies, stuck after Iran’s decision to block the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping.
“The Super El Nino will further worsen the economic pain inflicted by the ongoing energy crisis,” says Yi Ming, a physical climate scientist from Boston College who is currently a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS). “Asia’s electricity supply will be further strained as droughts curtail hydropower generation; farmers will be hard hit, and water-intensive manufacturing sectors like semiconductor and textile may also be disrupted.”
