TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued an early warning of potential hydrometeorological disasters that will hit Indonesia in 2021.

“This needs to be a common concern, particularly in areas that are prone to flooding, landslides, and land movement, along with the increasing intensity of rainfall,” said the agency head Dwikorita Karnawati in a virtual press conference, Thursday, August 26.

BMKG appealed to the government and the public to always be vigilant to deal with upcoming disasters.

As quoted from Gadjah Mada University’s environmental page konservasidas.fkt.ugm.ac.id, a hydrometeorological disaster caused by meteorological parameters, such as rainfall, humidity, temperature, and wind. Many disasters classified as hydrometeorological disasters include droughts, floods, storms, forest fires, El Nino, La Nina, landslides, and so on.

One of the causes of hydrometeorological disasters is climate change which is supported by increasingly massive environmental damage.

Based on data issued by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the intensity level of hydrometeorological disasters in Indonesia had increased in the last 15 years.

Read: Global Warming Pushes Rainy Season to Come Earlier in Indonesia: BMKG

EIBEN HEIZIER