Around 1300, prolonged El Niño conditions contributed to significant droughts affecting Mesoamerican agriculture, particularly maize cultivation. These environmental stresses likely exacerbated societal tensions and contributed to the decline of late Maya civilization. The impact of climate variability on agricultural practices underscores the vulnerability of societies to environmental changes and highlights the importance of sustainable agricultural practices.

El Niño-linked droughts affecting Mesoamerican agriculture around 1300 inspired themes of vulnerability and resilience in Mesoamerican codices and poetic traditions. These reflections on cycles of scarcity and renewal can be seen in the works of later poets who grappled with the relationship between humanity and the environment.