AHY Urges Vigilance as El Niño Dry Season Could Worsen
Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono has set out the government’s steps to prepare for the potential impact of El Nino ahead of the dry season in Indonesia.
He made the remarks after a limited meeting with President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto and a number of relevant officials at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday (28/7).
“We must prepare ourselves as best we can so that El Nino, coinciding with the dry season, does not bring overly significant problems for our people, including disruption to the food sector and the economy as a whole,” AHY said after the meeting.
From an infrastructure perspective, AHY said he was focusing on the readiness of water resource infrastructure.
He noted that one important aspect is ensuring the continued availability of clean water.
He gave the example of making certain that dams and reservoirs hold sufficient water volumes to supply clean water and support irrigation.
“This irrigation is important because we must ensure water continues to flow to our rice fields and guarantee that our agricultural productivity is not too disrupted,” he said.
According to AHY, based on data from the Ministry of Public Works, Indonesia’s overall water balance remains adequate.
El Nino’s intensity could continue to rise
Nevertheless, AHY stressed that all parties must not let their guard down, emphasising that El Nino’s intensity could continue to increase.
“But we must not be complacent, because El Nino’s intensity could keep rising,” he said.
One of the key concerns, he said, is anticipating the arrival of El Nino coinciding with the dry season.
AHY said this relates not only to clean water availability but also to the issue of forest and land fires.
“Because we know that in several provinces, for example Riau, then also Jambi, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and a number of other provinces, whether peatland or non-peatland, hotspots or fire points often emerge and must be anticipated immediately,” he said.
In response, AHY said the government is also ready with task forces and will carry out Weather Modification Operations.
“I repeat, through Weather Modification Operations with methodologies expected to extinguish fire points quickly. Including Weather Modification Operations to ensure that water levels in dams, reservoirs, and our lakes remain in a safe status,” he said.