High-Level Roundtable on El Niño Impacts and Response in Latin America and the Caribbean

Background and Rationale

The convergence of climatic, social and economic shocks is sharply increasing the risk to food insecurity for vulnerable populations across Latin America and the Caribbean, underscoring the urgent need to invest in preparedness and resilience as part of a strengthened humanitarian-development nexus. Forecasts indicate a high likelihood for El Niño conditions to reach strong intensity and intensify climate extremes—such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves—disrupting food production, livelihoods, and supply chains in already fragile contexts.

Live broadcast

At the same time, rising global fuel and food prices are increasing production and transport costs, eroding household purchasing power, and driving up the cost of humanitarian response and livelihoods. Together, these pressures risk pushing more people into food insecurity while escalating response requirements. Proactive investments in preparedness, anticipatory action, and resilience-building—linking immediate humanitarian assistance with longer-term development approaches—are therefore critical to mitigate the worst impacts of these shocks, protect hard-won development gains, and reduce future humanitarian needs and costs

Against this backdrop, there is a timely opportunity to convene a high-level, regional strategic dialogue to elevate a forward-looking regional narrative, centered on anticipatory action, preparedness, and resilience-building, and to clearly articulate the collective value proposition of the Rome-Based Agencies (RBAs). Building on ongoing collaboration—this event would provide a platform to align partners around a shared vision and investment priorities ahead of the peak impacts of El Niño in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Objectives

The virtual roundtable aims to:

• Present key data, trends, and forward-looking scenarios on the impacts of El Niño across Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting projected risks to food security, livelihoods, and vulnerability, and underscoring the urgency of preparedness and early action.
• Outline the joint approach of IFAD, FAO and WFP emphasizing strengthened coordination with strategic partners and stakeholders, and highlighting complementarities across anticipatory action, disaster risk financing (including meso-level insurance), and humanitarian–development nexus programming to support more timely, integrated, and cost-effective responses.

Target Participants

• Resources Partners
• International financial institutions
• Private Sector Partners
• Permanent representatives from priority El Niño-affected countries
• Government and Regional institutions
• Key operational partners (e.g. NGOs, civil society).
• Public Audience

Expected Outcomes

• A shared, high-level understanding among participants of the risks associated with El Niño and related priorities across Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Enhanced alignment and collaboration among governments, resource partners, and key stakeholders around priorities for preparedness, anticipatory action, and disaster risk financing.
• Strengthened coordination and delivery of integrated support by the Rome-Based Agencies, working in partnership with governments and stakeholders to anticipate, mitigate, and respond to climate-related food security risks through complementary approaches across anticipatory action, risk financing, and humanitarian–development nexus programming.