Scientists warn of 2026 disaster like 1877 catastrophe that killed 50m | World | News
The 1877 climate disaster caused prolonged droughts, triggering a global famine (Image: Getty)
The famine caused by El Niño in 1877 and 1878 claimed millions of lives in the tropics.
Now, for more than 140 years, the world has been preparing for a new El Niño, a long-lasting climate phenomenon characterized by abnormally high temperatures that occurs every few years. Scientists warn that this could be among the strongest on record, triggering serious instability and suffering in certain regions globally.
A report from the Wall Street Journal suggests that the warm phase could raise ocean temperatures by as much as 5.4 degrees Celsius, causing intense droughts in some regions, devastating floods in others and disruption to food supplies around the world.
The 1877 climate disaster triggered long droughts and triggered a global famine that killed at least 50 million people; some estimates put the death toll at 60 million, or about 3 percent of the Earth’s population at the time.
“This was the worst environmental disaster to have befallen humanity and one of the worst disasters in at least the last 150 years, with a death toll comparable to the World Wars and the 1918/19 flu pandemic,” climate researchers wrote in a 2018 study of the famine.
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Because nations are now much better prepared to monitor El Niño events through ocean sensors and advanced warning systems, and agricultural practices have become more advanced, a large-scale famine is not expected.
But experts warn that the weather phenomenon could put further pressure on the already fragile global system.
Farmers are currently struggling with fertilizer shortages triggered by the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, while energy prices have also increased due to the war in Iran and the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Laurie Laybourn, president of the Strategic Climate Risks Initiative, a UK-based think tank, told the New York Times there was the potential for a “perfect storm” of factors.
Experts say the weather event is likely to add pressure to an already unstable global system. (Image: Getty)
“You could see the rise of poverty, malnutrition, conflict, indebtedness and all the domino effects that resulted from that.”
Researchers estimate that the previous super El Niño, which occurred between 2015 and 2016, caused around £2.9 trillion in damage to the global economy.
If the upcoming event is as severe as predicted, experts suggest the world could suffer similar losses during an already volatile period.
