BNPB Asks Local Governments To Ensure Water Availability In The Face Of Drought

Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Lt. Gen. Suharyanto appealed to local governments (Pemda) to ensure water availability to deal with drought due to the impact of El Nino phenomenon in the dry season.

"We all give appeals to regions to ensure the availability of water in areas, especially in areas where drought usually arises," said Suharyanto as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, July 31.

Suharyanto said drought conditions were not only anticipated in the West Java region, but in a number of areas on the island of Java which were predicted to experience a significant drought.

In this case, Suharyanto said, mitigation steps can be taken by ensuring the availability of water while there is still rain in some parts of Indonesia.

In addition, BNPB is working with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), as well as the Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM) to carry out weather modification technology (TMC) to bring rain to fill lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and wells.

"BRGM is also working with BNPB to build a new bore well, so that if later it is true that this drought will come bigger, more powerful, this water can be used for people in areas experiencing drought," said Suharyanto.

In addition, BNPB also prioritizes land operations to deal with forest and land fires (karhutla) which are also the impact of the El Nino phenomenon in Indonesia.