TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Agriculture Ministry plans on optimizing the functions of the country’s farming irrigation so as to adapt to and anticipate climate change. The ministry highlighted this issue in a webinar titled “Efforts to Optimize Farming Irrigation to Adapt to and Anticipate Global Warming” on Thursday, August 12, 2021.

Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo underscored that water was a basic necessity to the farming sector, but it could also turn into a calamity when not managed properly. “Thus, sound water management was necessary to ensure that agricultural cultivation would proceed without a hitch, both in the dry and the rainy seasons,” he said.

The ministry’s Director-General of Facilities and Infrastructure, Ali Jamil, added the ministry were equipped with various infrastructure to cope with climate change, including high-intensity rain and prolonged drought.

“The key is optimized farming irrigation, with ponds, tertiary irrigation network rehabilitations, pumping system, etc. I think we have to address the problems with our rainfed rice fields to bolster the size of our planting and farming areas,” Ali said.

He went on to say that there was no need for agriculture players to fret about climate change given the preparedness of the ministry and its adequate infrastructure.

Read: Sri Mulyani Says Rp3 Trillion Needed to Tackle Climate Change

TEMPO.CO