Hanoi, July 13 -- Regional cooperation and proactive domestic readiness will be essential to mitigating the widespread economic and environmental disruptions of the El Nino phenomenon, Assoc. Prof. Sheeba Chenoli at Universiti Malaya noted. Malaysian authorities have warned that the ASEAN region could see conditions similar to those during the extreme 1997-1998 El Nino event, which triggered severe regional haze and acute water shortages across Southeast Asia. Among the general steps expected to be taken to prepare Malaysia for these coming disruptions are the National Disaster Management Agency, the Malaysian Meteorological Department, and the Royal Malaysian Air Force being placed on standby to support emergency response, disaster prepare...