Jakarta, IO – The government is trying to increase awareness of the impact of El Nino which is expected to occur in August-September. Residents are asked to be vigilants of extreme weather-related events from drought to floods.
Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) head Dwikorita Karnawati said the government continues to improve coordination and take anticipatory steps such as maintaining food and water supply, per Setkab.go.id, Thursday (20/7).
“It is estimated that this El Nino will have weak to moderate intensity, so it is feared that it will lead to water scarcity or drought, as well as impact on food production and food security,” said Dwikorita.
Dwikorita said the government has made preparations to face El Nino from February-April. The agency predicts that the impact will vary between regions, meaning some may have floods while others drought. This is called hydrometeorological phenomenon because Indonesia is surrounded by mountains and is right on the equator.
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Thus, the government urges the public to continue protect the environment, save water, and plant flood-resistant crops. “Also continue to monitor the development of weather and climate information which is very dynamic from time to time as provided by BMKG,” he said.
El Nino is a phenomenon of warmer sea surface temperature which is above the normal level in the central Pacific Ocean. It increases the potential for cloud formation and reduces rainfall in Indonesian territory. Typically, El Nino will trigger drought and heatwave. (bp)