TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The data coordinator of the Bogor branch of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), Hadi Saputra, on Friday urged regional administrations and the public in West Java to look out for the potential lack of clean water caused by drought.

“Local governments and society in general in areas prone to lack of clean water should store water supplies during the transition period from the rainy season to drought,” said Hadi in a virtual press conference on April 9.

He strongly suggested lakes and water reservoirs be filled along with other water supply systems implemented by local administrations. Hadi said the BMKG forecasted this year’s drought would affect 42 percent of Indonesian regions at a normal rate while 39 percent of regions would be affected by drought above the normal level.

Those classified under the above normal level are North Sukabumi, Bekasi, North Karawang, North Bekasi, Central Karawang, northern parts of Subang, most areas in Indramayu, and regions located in the monitoring of the Bogor BMKG.

Areas in West Java that are forecasted to experience normal drought are Depok, north and southern parts of Bogor, Sukabumi, Cianjur, east and southern parts of Bandung, Purwakarta, Bekasi, Tasikmalaya, Cirebon, Ciamis, and Pangandaran.

Read: Ready for the Dry Years: Building Resilience against Drought in Southeast Asia

FRISKI RIANA