Specialists warn that the intensity of El Niño 2026 generates risks for the economy and the productive chain
“From climate risk to economic risk - CIPER Chile”
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An analysis published by CIPER warns that the strengthening of the El Niño phenomenon in 2026, whose intensity exceeds previous episodes by 20%, increases the probability of extreme weather events that threaten economic stability, agriculture, and mining in Chile.
The meteorological phenomenon, which already shows records superior to those observed in 1997 and 2015, poses significant challenges for various productive sectors. While agriculture faces risks from untimely rainfall and hailstorms, mining is exposed to operational interruptions due to heavy snowfalls and power outages.
These alterations in logistic and productive chains can translate into inflationary pressures on essential goods such as food, energy, and transportation, recalling that in September the CPI registered a monthly increase of 0.4%.
Experts emphasize that the consequences of these events deepen social gaps, hitting hardest those households that allocate a high proportion of their income to food, which is why timely investment in prevention and resilient infrastructure is required.
- The 2026 El Niño exceeds the intensity of the 1997 and 2015 episodes by 20%.
- Extreme weather events threaten the operational continuity of agriculture and mining.
- Pressure on food and raw materials affects economic costs and inflation.
- Vulnerable households suffer with greater severity the impact of these increases in basic services and food.
Corroborates: From climate risk to economic risk - CIPER Chile