BMKG Warns of Drought Potential This Dry Season
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28 May 2024 11:18 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said several regions in Indonesia will potentially experience meteorological drought this dry season. However, some areas are still expected to be wet and rainy, causing some hydrometeorological disasters, such as floods, flash floods, lava floods, and landslides. For this reason, the central and regional governments urgently need to be prepared.
"We have submitted a report to the President (Joko Widodo) regarding climate conditions and drought preparedness for 2024 so the risks and impacts that arise can be anticipated and minimized," said Head of BMKG Dwikorita Karnawati in a written statement on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.
Most of Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara had experienced Rainless Days (HTH) for 21 to 30 days or longer. Additionally, BMKG data shows that the southern part of the Equator has entered the dry season.
"Around 19 percent of Indonesia's seasonal zones have entered the dry season and most of Java, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara are expected to enter the dry season in the next 30 days. Drought during the dry season will dominate Indonesia's territory until the end of September," she said.
For this reason, areas with the potential for minimal rainfall of less than 50 millimeters per month need special attention to anticipate the impact of drought. This area covers most of Sumatra, Java, West Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara, parts of Sulawesi, and parts of Maluku and Papua.
Meanwhile, initial hotspot monitoring carried out by satellite showed that several hotspots had emerged in areas prone to forest fires. "There is still a short window of time that can be utilized optimally before entering the mid-dry season period," he said.
Reflecting on this, BMKG provides some technical recommendations that can be implemented as anticipatory measures, including weather modification and raising the groundwater levels in areas prone to forest fires or peatlands.
BMKG hopes the Ministry of Public Works and Housing and the Ministry of Agriculture ensure connectivity between the irrigation network and drought-stricken regions is adequate. Meanwhile, local governments are recommended to harvest rainwater on a massive scale while mitigating the impact of current hydrometeorological extreme events.
Furthermore, Dwikorita said that BMKG hopes the early warning information on dry season preparation can be used effectively by the central and local governments.
IRSYAN HASYIM
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