IKN In East Kalimantan Potentially Floods, BRIN Calls The Trigger Of The Ecuinox Phenomenon

President Jokowi while reviewing infrastructure development in the capital city of Nusantara (IKN), in PPU Regency, East Kalimantan, Tuesday, October 25, 2022. (Laily Rachev-Biro Press of the Presidential Secretariat)

JAKARTA - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) warned of the potential for flooding on the island of Kalimantan, including in the Capital City of the Archipelago (IKN) in East Kalimantan (Kaltim).

Researcher Expert Main of the BRIN Center for Climate and Atmospheric Research, Eddy Hermawan, said the potential was due to the apparent movement of the sun while on the equator or equator.

"When the sun begins to shift to the equator, it is possible that there will be flooding in the equatorial area, one of which is IKN, getting ready to get wet," he said when contacted, Wednesday, February 21, was confiscated by Antara.

Ecuinox is an astronomical phenomenon when the sun's daily pseudo track is right on the equator or equator. This phenomenon occurs twice a year, namely March 21 and September 23.

Eddy said it would take a long time to rain when the equinonomic phenomenon lasted a maximum of three days, but on average it was only two days. It rains when the sun approaches the equator line of the earth.

According to him, if the equinox occurs on March 21, 2024, it is estimated that the rain will start to fall on March 15 or 16, 2024.

"Later, don't be surprised that Samarinda is flooded, Balikpapan is flooded, IKN is starting to be submerged. Don't be surprised because the cycle is like that, there's nothing to worry about, this is a normal cycle (rain)," said Eddy.

He further said that the monsoon followed the wind and wind followed the position of the sun.

When the sun goes to the equator line, he said, it means that the center of low pressure is shifted to the center of the earth. This condition makes the mass of water vapor originating from various regions, such as Australia, directed to the equator line, causing rain to pour down the island of Kalimantan.

"Regions like IKN continue to be wet and cloudy (at equinonomics). The peak of rain occurs twice a year," said Eddy.