Asia Pacific has many small island states and low-lying areas that stand to be affected by climate change and the possible rise in sea level. Scien - tists also currently believe that climate change will accelerate and worsen weather pattern changes accompanying the destructive E1 Nino/South - ern Oscillation (ENSO) along the pacific rim. The coastal regions of Asia and the United States stand to be considerably affected, as the 1997 E1 Nino-related drought and 1998 La Nina-related flooding have shown. Such weather changes can have a considerable impact on agriculture and food security.