Megawati Asks BMKG To Learn From Fires In Los Angeles

The Fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia Megawati Soekarnoputri discussed with former US Vice President Al Gore on the sidelines of the World Leaders Summit on Children's Rights at the Vatican, Rome, Italy (ANTARA/HO-Personal Documents)

JAKARTA - The Fifth President of the Republic of Indonesia Megawati Soekarnoputri asked the Government, including the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to pay close attention to climate change, including lessons from the major fires that occurred in Los Angeles, United States, recently.

This was conveyed by Megawati after speaking with former US Vice President Al Gore during the World Leaders Summit on Children's Rights at the Vatican, Rome, Italy, Monday, February 3.

"Earlier I spoke and asked him about the recent cause of the big fire in Los Angeles," Megawati said in a statement quoted by ANTARA.

Moreover, Megawati said, Al Gore explained that the big fire that had just occurred in Los Angeles was due to drought and there were problems in the water system for extinguishing fires, so the fires and impacts were widespread.

"I will tell you what scientists told me. The heat trapped in the system interferes with the water cycle. They are experiencing something called hydroclite whiplash," said Al Gore.

He said Los Angeles experienced two very wet winters in a row that increased vegetation growth and in March the rain stopped.

"And they experienced a drought of ten months. All plants growing out of control dried up and became fuel for fire," continued Al Gore.

The former vice president during the Bill Clinton era also explained at length about the long drought that occurred and sparked the fire, including the question of wind coming from mountains at high speed.

Megawati said things like this must be learned and anticipated so that similar disasters do not occur in Indonesia.

When he was a panelist at World Leaders Summit on Children's Rights today, Megawati alluded to climate change that threatens the survival of mankind and the earth, especially among children.