The expected impacts of El Nino

The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction is pleased to invite you to participate in a workshop with Amir Shabbar from Environment Canada.

Second only to the normal seasonal cycle of warming and cooling, which brings changesin precipitation patterns around the world, El Nio and its counterpart La Nia alsodisrupt the natural rhythm of climate. El Nio produces torrential rains in otherwise arid regions, and extended dry spells in humid climate regions of the world. The strongest recorded El Nino during 1997-98 was blamed for damages in excess of US$34-billion and deaths of near 24,000 people worldwide. In Canada, El Nio is beneficial to some sectors of the economy but it alsohas deleterious effects on others. After providing background scientific information about the phenomenon, this presentation will highlight the economic impacts of both El Nio and La Nia in Canada.

As a senior research meteorologist at Environment Canada over the past 25 years, Amir has done seminal work inadvancing our understanding of atmospheric circulation as they affect the Canadian climate. Amirs research investigationof the El Nio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon in the 1980s forms the basis of our understanding of the impactof ENSO on the Canadian climate. Amir has used his expertise in spatial statistical analysis to devise a seasonalforecasting model for Canada, as well as, document the effects of ENSO on drought, large-scale forest fires and severe IceStorm of 1998 in eastern Canada.

Where: Swiss Re, 150 King Street West, 10th Floor conference room, Toronto (10:00 am to 11:30 am)RSVP: Tracy Waddington

http://www.iclr.org