Greater Bandung Likely Faces Clean Water Shortage as Dry Season Will Come Drier

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) forecasted that this year’s dry season will be drier than its climatological conditions. “Greater Bandung has the potential to experience drought and a shortage of clean water for daily needs,” the agency’s head of the Bandung Geophysics Station Teguh Rahayu reported on Tuesday, April 25.

Greater Bandung includes Bandung City and Regency, Cimahi City, and West Bandung Regency. The agency predicted that for the first ten days or dasarian of May or May 1-10, the potential number of rainy days is only between 2-5 days with the chance of raining ranges from 40 to 75 percent.

According to Rahayu, the rainfall intensity in Greater Bandung is generally predicted to be in the low-medium category, or around 0-150 millimeters per dasarian. “Such conditions can increase the chances of disasters such as drought in areas with certain topography,” she added.

This condition was predicted to continue into the second dasarian which will enter the dry season with the potential number of rainy days ranging from 2-5 days and the chance of rain between 40-60 percent. The rainfall is also likely to be in the low-medium category.

BMKG further predicted that the peak of the dry season in Greater Bandung will occur from July to August 2023. Local governments and communities are encouraged to carry out water management. Several methods that could be applied include filling reservoirs or dams, making water reservoirs, and preparing irrigation, infiltration wells, or bio pores. Farmers are also suggested to follow the planting calendar designed by BMKG.

ANWAR SISWADI (CONTRIBUTOR)

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