Costa Mar braces for El Niño impact on tourism and hydro reserves

Costa Mar's Marine Ministry and the Federal Hydro Authority issued a joint advisory on Thursday warning that El Niño conditions developing over the Pacific could disrupt the region's rainfall patterns and water reserves through the first quarter of 2027. The advisory, based on forecasts from the Federal Statistical Office and international meteorological partners, recommends that tourism operators, hydroelectric facilities, and coastal communities prepare for drier-than-normal conditions during the traditionally wetter months of October through December.

El Niño—a periodic warming of equatorial Pacific waters that alters global weather patterns—typically brings reduced rainfall to Central American regions like Costa Mar. The current forecasts suggest a strong pattern developing, with the potential to lower reservoir levels by 15 to 20 percent below normal seasonal averages. Costa Mar's economy depends on two climate-sensitive sectors: eco-tourism, which relies on consistent water flow for river tours and waterfall visits, and hydroelectric generation, which supplies 100 percent of the region's power and exports surplus electricity to Nord Europa and Tierra Verde.

Governor Solomon Adeyemi convened an emergency coordinating meeting on Friday with representatives from the tourism ministry, the Hydro Authority, and the reef-monitoring network. The Governor said the region is "well-positioned to manage a moderate dry period" but emphasized the need for coordinated planning. "We have learned from previous dry seasons," he said in a statement. "What we are preparing for now is how to communicate clearly with our partners in Meridian and across the federation about what we can and cannot guarantee in terms of power supply and tourism capacity."