The prolonged dry spell will affect some national services in areas feeling the brunt of the El Niño effect.

For now agriculture and water supply are the only ones largely struggling due to the lack of rain but experts say in the coming months the effects will be more widespread.

Schools, health centres and hospitals may not have water and even a range of health issues may emerge.

National Disaster Management’s Office Director Akapusi Tuifagalele says they still have the capacity and funds to control this.

“The fund that we have in government that we can use is the Prime Minister’s rehab and relief fund- they’re specifically meant for emergency purposes. This is the time that we use that fund but if we really need to go overboard then we will need a funding assistance from outside but the last thing for us to do here in Fiji is to do a declaration. A declaration means we have a disaster, it is out of hand, government cannot do anything about it or maybe little beyond its control and then we declare a state of natural disaster.”

Tuifagalele says that at the moment the situation is under control and is working together with relevant stakeholders and communities to ensure they can maintain it when the effects get worse.

Fiji and other pacific islands have been urged to prepare for a looming El Nino emergency that’s expected to affect more than four million people