Preparations for El Niño: DMH: El Niño will be likely encountered in 2024

The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology forecasts that the El Niño will be likely encountered in 2024.

Myanmar faced the impacts of El Niño in 2015 and 2019, causing floods and drought and the water storage capacity of Thaphan Seik Dam which is the largest dam in Myanmar declined.

By taking lesson from that process, a total of 12.9 million acre-feet of irrigated water has been stored in dams across the country in order to provide sufficient irrigated water during the El Niño season, according to the an official of the Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department.

Maung Maung Moe Nyunt , Deputy Director , Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department (IWUMD) said " 12.9 million acre-feet of irrigated water have been stored. The water storage capacity was more than that amount in 2022 and 2021. We also supply water for monsoon paddy cultivation in some areas. We have estimated that it will remain 12.7 million acre-ft of water at the end of December this year after distributing water to farmland."

The official added that in the past 2022-2023 crop season, 2.5 million acres of summer crops could be cultivated through the irrigated water in various ways. They also arrange to store rain water effectively and carry out crop choosing patterns.

Maung Maung Moe Nyunt , Deputy Director , Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department (IWUMD) said " We also arrange to store rainwater effectively in heavy rainfall areas. We are also carrying out for choosing crop patterns for coming crop season in cooperation with the Water Users’ Group. We will undertake blocking creeks and rivers, pumping works, tapping underground water for the upcoming summer crop season. We are monitoring to carry out these tasks in timely manner."

12.1 million acre-ft of irrigated water could be stored in 2021 and 12.5 million acre-ft in 2022 and 2.5 million acres of monsoon paddy could be cultivated in the previous year, it is learnt.