Expert says capital flood warning holds no water<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): Predictions that Jakarta could be hit by massive
\nflooding soon due to the effects of the La Nina weather
\nphenomenon are baseless, a lecturer at the Bogor Institute of
\nAgriculture said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Hidayat Pawitan, a lecturer at the institute's Geophysics and
\nMeteorology department, told The Jakarta Post that flooding
\npredicted to take place later this year would not be made worse
\nby La Nina.<\/p>\n
\"The effects of the La Nina phenomenon in the form of heavier
\nrains happen only during the dry season. During the rainy season,
\nthe impacts of La Nina are usually offset by the domination of
\nthe monsoon,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) recently warned
\nJakartans that the La Nina weather phenomenon could intensify
\nflooding during the rainy season.<\/p>\n
BMG predicted the level of flooding could be greater than that
\nin 1996, when Jakarta's 10 million inhabitants suffered from the
\nmost widespread flooding in the city's history.<\/p>\n
Hidayat reiterated that the country's weather was greatly
\ninfluenced by the monsoon, a periodic wind flowing from Asia to
\nAustralia that causes Indonesia to have two major seasons: one
\ndry and the other rainy. The dry season usually takes place from
\nApril to September, while the rainy season occurs from October to
\nMarch.<\/p>\n
\"The heaviest rainfalls due to the monsoon are frequently
\nrecorded from December to February. That's why Jakarta is often
\ninundated during those months,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"There is nothing special here. Massive flooding in those
\nmonths is ordinary. It's not because of La Nina.<\/p>\n
Hidayat further explained that this year the La Nina
\nphenomenon had already started in June with the Southern
\nOscillation Index, an indicator measuring both the El Nino and La
\nNina phenomenons, reaching a figure of eight.<\/p>\n
The index rose to 10 early last month, he said, adding that
\nareas could be hit by massive flooding if the index was between
\n10 and 20.<\/p>\n
There is a possibility that the index may still be between 10
\nand 20 in October, he said. \"But Java, including Jakarta, will
\nnot be affected. It will only affect South Pacific countries,
\nincluding Australia. And if it affects Indonesia, it would only
\nhit areas near Timor island,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hidayat said he was more concerned about the effects of El
\nNino, which usually causes droughts. If the phenomenon starts in
\nMarch, it could cause a drought, he said. But if it starts in
\nJuly, the dry season would not be affected at all.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the most effective way to control flooding in
\nJakarta, Hidayat cited a combined system of drainage flows and
\ndams.<\/p>\n
\"Such an integrated system could pump water out to other water
\nstorage areas when a dam reaches its maximum capacity,\" he said.<\/p>\n
This system, he said, was currently being used in Tokyo and
\nOsaka, Japan.<\/p>\n
The two cities used to be frequently hit by massive flooding
\nbefore the systems were put in place, he said. (24\/hhr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/expert-says-capital-flood-warning-holds-no-water-1447893297",
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