The impact of this is likely to hit even closer to home in the coming months, as the meteorological phenomenon El Nino advances on South-east Asia. El Nino conditions could cut the output of high-value crops such as rice and corn in the Philippines, Macquarie equities analyst Karisa Magpayo wrote in a note in July. The mitigation measures takenMitigation measures could, however, play a big part in reducing the impact of this El Nino. Hailing regional initiatives boosting intra-Asean coordination on issues like drought, the analysts said: “For now, things look better than they have during past El Nino events.” El Nino: “the fuel to the planet already on fire”United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently remarked that El Nino, which is tied to higher Pacific Ocean surface temperatures, is “adding fuel to a planet already on fire”.