Drought and nature's message

Drought and nature's message

During the rainy season, we get floods. During the dry season, we get droughts. These are the disasters which Indonesia faces every year. Last January and February, this nation, including Jakarta, was hit by floods. This July, the dry season is coming to Java island, and with it the threat of drought.

Thank God these have prompted government officials to act. Speaking after chairing a recent meeting, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Yusuf Kalla said that the government has allocated Rp 4.2 billion for cloud seeding in anticipation of the drought in Java.

The government has also stationed 150 water tankers in 50 districts and towns in Java. The dry season and the drought pose threats to food supply.

We are happy to see the government's action in anticipating the threats posed by nature. Still, these efforts are only of a temporary nature.

The floods and droughts we face every year should warn us that the development we have been encouraging is actually damaging nature, causing the rainy and dry seasons to make conditions worse each year.

-- Republika, Jakarta