TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo confirmed that July 2019 was the hottest month in the past century owing to global warming.

"July of this year's dry season is the hottest month in history, meaning we are experiencing quite extreme climate change," Monardo revealed on Saturday.

He has recommended to plant more trees to fight the impact of climate change.

"Every government institution and societal element must protect and plant various endemic trees in vacant lands," he remarked.

He especially urged the residents of Bangka and Belitung Islands to plant trees on barren land as a mitigatory measure against the impacts of global warming in the province.

He highlighted the need to protect and preserve the scenic natural beauty of Bangka Belitung as well as conserve the province's flora and fauna.

"In future, tourists will come here not to stay in star-rated hotels but since they are keen to enjoy the natural scenery," he stated.

He sought a commitment of all stakeholders, including the government, businessmen, volunteers, men of culture, clerics, and the media, to protect the environment.

In the meantime, an El Nino-induced severe dry spell has cast a pall over 100 districts and cities in Indonesia's provinces of Aceh, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara.

Most parts of Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara have not received rains for some 60 days. The extreme dry season has impacted 102,746 hectares (ha) of agricultural area and ruined 9,358 ha.

The government had forecast that the current drought, which is drier than that of last year, would spread to 28 out of the country's 34 provinces and could affect 48,491,666 people and leave 11,774,437 ha of areas parched.

A total of 55 district and municipal administrations in the seven provinces have declared a state of emergency in their regions over drought.

ANTARA