Ecuador Declares Emergency Over El Niño

# Ecuador Declares Emergency Over El Niño ### Why in News? Ecuador declared a nationwide **red alert** as the **El Niño** climate phenomenon intensified, prompting emergency preparedness and evacuation measures. ### Key Details - **El Niño** is the warm phase of the **El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)**, when unusually warm surface waters develop in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific. - It is associated with a **weakening of trade winds** and can disrupt rainfall, temperatures, fisheries and weather patterns far beyond the Pacific. - Ecuador reported risks including **drought, wildfires and stress in the Amazon region**. - Other countries in the region, including **Panama, Honduras, El Salvador and Peru**, also announced emergency measures. ### Exam Connect - **El Niño** → warm phase of **ENSO** - **Ecuador** → South America → capital **Quito**