The objective of this study is to enhance our understanding the El Niño phenomenon using FAO’s Agricultural Stress Index System (ASIS) and improve effective early warning capabilities of FAO and partners to issue and trigger timely disaster risk reduction measures. The study contributes to the objective of increasing the resilience of communities and their livelihoods. The study can help countries in integrating early warning systems and lessons learned from past southern oscillation phenomena into their national adaptation and disaster risk reduction plans, budgets and strategies.