Preparing for El Nino: Policy Options

cientists are forecasting that there may be a severe El Niño weather event lasting through mid- 2016. For Indonesia, El Niño events are associated with prolonged drought, with adverse effects on food and cash crop production. The government could reduce the potential large impacts of the El Niño by developing timely and appropriate precautionary measures. In the short-term, the government should consider easing restrictions on foodstuff imports.Second, consideration should be given to expanding social protection programs to assist those households whose livelihoods are adversely affected by El Niño. And third, in the medium-term, El Niño is a good reminder that more attention should be devoted to food security. [ADB Papers on Indonesia, No. 01.]